Nottinghamshire Cricket Annual 2019

Nottinghamshire Cricket Annual 2019.  Out now! Price £5.

The Annual is published by the Nottingham Cricket Lovers’ Society.

Since the turn of the 21^st century the Notts Annual had been a combined publication between Notts CCC and the Nottingham Cricket Board. It was so successful that when a national survey of all County publications was independently assessed, Nottinghamshire’s Annual was considered the best, both in content and production.  The County Club and the Cricket Board jointly shared the cost of production.  All members of the County Club and all local cricket clubs were entitled to a free copy of the combined Annual.

Last year the Board, surprisingly, decided to exclude several long standing features from the 2018 Annual. Omitted were the details of all the local clubs – a feature regarded as essential since the Edwardian era – the local clubs’ league tables, one league being overlooked altogether as were several other pieces long considered of interest.  At the close of the 2018 season the Board announced that they felt that their financial contribution could be better spent elsewhere within its own structure and would therefore no longer share the cost of the Annual. The Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club decided that they were not prepared to wholly finance the cost of the Annual. This decision ended an official production that was highly regarded, very informative, and part of the package which Nottinghamshire members were entitled to as part of their subscription.

This decision created further separate discussion amongst the local cricketing family. Some long-term club members and supporters came to the conclusion that there was a need for such a production and decided that they would attempt to replicate the Annual to keep the tradition going in Nottinghamshire.  Therefore the new independent Annual is the result of that decision and we hope accurately reports for posterity the 2018 season from a Nottinghamshire perspective.  Peter Wynne-Thomas, former Committee Member and Heritage Group leader David Beaumont, former Club President Bill Russell, and myself have been heavily engaged in the creation of this publication

The unfortunate result of the withdrawal of the support by the Nottinghamshire Cricket Board is that few details of the Nottinghamshire club scene are included in the new publication, apart from the Notts Premier League and the top divisions of South Nottinghamshire and Bassetlaw & District Leagues.  

However the annual is excellent value for £5 and contains 160 pages including 16 in full colour, the paper quality and cover is of identical quality to recent Notts annuals. Much of the photos in the Annual have been kindly provided by Notts CCC.  We very much appreciate the support given by the club for this independent publication.

The annual contains the following:

·         Introduction/Editorial

·         16 pages of colour photographs including individual photos all the current playing and backroom staff (ideal for gaining autographs), plus a full squad photos from last season in whites and pyjamas and action photos

·         Full details of 2019 playing staff

·         A comprehensive summary of first team including averages, outstanding performances, partnerships and extensive reviews of each of the three first-team competitions

·         Full scorecards and reports for all 2018 Notts first and second team fixtures (exactly as per recent annuals)

·         Extensive 21 page record section

·         Details and results for Notts Academy, Over 50s, Under 17s and Women’s 2018 fixtures, along with extensive reviews of the season. The exhaustive record section is retained

·         Four pages on Nottinghamshire Premier League

·         Tables for top level of South Notts and Bassetlaw Leagues

·         A number of interesting articles written by the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club archivist, Peter Wynne-Thomas; Notts first team scorer Roger Marshall; Trent Bridge Tour Guide Alan Odell; Sports Ground Safety Authority Inspector Sue Storey, Heritage Officier Steve LeMottee and David Beaumont.

As the publication has been produced independent from Notts CCC it cannot be handed out free to members like in previous years. Donations from individual Cricket Club members, together with those from friends of the Society have provided sufficient funds to cover the cost of production.

The annual is available now. Peter Wynne-Thomas has copies for sale in the TB Library and once the season starts it will also be available priced £5 from the Trent Bridge club shop and office.

If you want any further information on the annual please e-mail me at  nclsannual@gmail.com

Mike Goulder

Annual Editor

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THE SCORER’S LOT

BY ROGER MARSHALL – NOTTS FIRST TEAM SCORER

Our names are on every scorecard, announced at least once a day and we are part of two teams. Who are we? We are the scorers and I am part of those two teams. Firstly, I am the Nottinghamshire first team scorer, and secondly a member of the team of match officials, made up of the umpires, scorers and match liaison manager (or match referee).

Where do we sit? I have asked members from time to time if they know where we are situated and received many wrong answers. I will give you a clue. Look in the direction the umpires are making their signals and look for the acknowledgment light that I press so they know that I have seen their signal.

Many people also believe that the scorers arrive five minutes before the start of the game and clear off as soon as the final ball is bowled. In fact I arrive at the ground at least two hours before the match starts to meet up with the opposition scorer, then visit the umpires’ room to discuss intervals and timings and any other relevant details according to the match type we are playing i.e. County Championship, T20 or 50 over.

The next step is to find out the team for the day from Peter Moores and to write out the official team sheet which then has to be handed to the captain Steven Mullaney or Dan Christian to exchange with the umpires and opposition captain before the toss takes place in the middle.

Times for a scorer have changed since the early days when they sat in the outfield with a stick of wood and a knife and cut notches to keep the score. Scorebooks came to the fore early in the 1800s. In recent years with the advent of technology computer scoring programs have taken over.

Nowadays the computer program is Pro Scorer which has been produced by the ECB in conjunction with NV play based in New Zealand. This links with the ECB play cricket web site and the match liaison official so that it is live and up to date. The old traditions are not forgotten at Trent Bridge as at the same time as using the computer I still keep the traditional score book. If you visit Peter Wynne–Thomas in the Library you can view scorebooks going back to the 19th century.

During a Championship fixture scorers keep an ongoing check on their team’s over rate. The importance of which gains significance when you consider that in the last two seasons our promotion from Division Two and avoidance of relegation last season was aided by the fact that Northants and Lancashire were deducted points for a slow over rate.

How is the championship over rate worked out? Simply a side is expected to bowl sixteen overs in an hour. A two minute allowance is made for each wicket that falls and the umpires may give allowances for any stoppage in play e.g. a batsman changing gloves, injuries etc. It is important that the captain is aware of the rate and this is displayed on the scoreboard. Scorers have to be constantly checking as their team will be deducted one point for every over short of level at the end of the game.

Rain affected matches in the Royal London Cup and the T20 Vitality Blast bring extra work with the Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) system having to be produced. Along with working with the umpires to work out the overs remaining within the time allowed, a separate DLS calculation has to be made after each stoppage and printed copies delivered to both dressing rooms. When there is only a 15 minute break between innings in a T20 match it is a matter of a quick sprint into the pavilion to deliver and rush back for the start of the next innings. I usually just make it back for the first ball. Thankfully this is the home scorer’s responsibility so I get a rest when we play away.

During breaks in play and on non-match days there are many other things to catch up with. All the Match reports and scorecards for the first eleven included in this annual are compiled by myself. Coaches often ask for statistics some of which require updating throughout the season and not only include Notts statistics but also other counties performances.

The above duties are also carried out by Anne Cusworth for the Second Eleven and Academy, who with many matches being played on Club grounds does not enjoy the many excellent facilities available at the First-class grounds. Anne and I often score together at Test Matches and One Day Internationals staged at Trent Bridge which means we are both able to score at the Elite level of Cricket.

We are part of another team in the scorer’s room, The Screen Team. Ian Smith is the scoreboard screen operator and over the last few seasons Liam Murphy has been responsible for what you view on the screen i.e. scorecards, action replays etc. We undoubtedly are able to enjoy two of the finest screens in the world.

So onto the 2019 season, including the World Cup which will show everybody yet again what a splendid venue we have at Trent Bridge. Scoring requires long hours of concentration, which is aided in my case by plenty of tea, the wit and repartee with colleagues and officials and the enjoyment of sharing the ups and downs with the players that occur during a season which now lasts six months.

I hope that this article gives you an insight to the role of a County scorer. And do not forget to look for the Light.