North Wales Cricket League chiefs call on clubs to improve their behaviour

The North Wales Cricket League is calling on clubs to improve their conduct.

The league has published a message on its website and social media expressing concerns about a decline in behavioural standards. No specific clubs were named.

It reads:

“NWCL has been concerned over the last few months about declining standards in player and spectator behaviour.

“The initial post-Covid restrictions pleasure at being able to play has been somewhat replaced by a darker undercurrent of animosity towards the opposition and sometimes, the umpires, which has seen several instances of undesirable and unbecoming behaviour from players and spectators alike.

“With this in mind, and having discussed it in Committee, we ask clubs to remind their Captains that, under the Laws of Cricket, the captain is AT ALL TIMES during the match responsible for the behaviour of their players, and they have a duty to deal with poor behaviour or dissent, on or off the field.

“It falls upon members of a club’s committee to install spectators’ respect for the opposition. Foul and abusive language have no place in our game.

“It also falls upon clubs to invoke appropriate disciplinary measures against their players or spectators should they transgress the ECB code of conduct laws that we have all signed up to or, in the case of spectators, common decency.

“In summary, control your captains, your players, your spectators, and let us halt this spiral to the bottom as there will come a point where some players and clubs choose not to play against certain opponents.“

The statement is attributed jointly to: Allan Senior (chair), Lucy Norman (vice-chair and discipline secretary) and Andy Goodwin (NWCL umpires).