Wanstead Gains Choice of Laterality
Wanstead Cricket Club is pleased to report that the Essex Cricket League (www.essexcricket.com) has finally granted dispensation for Wanstead captains to decide if a batsman must bat left-handed or right-handed when playing at our home ground, Overton Drive.
The club has been in negotiation with the league for about a year, as the matter was delayed after referral to the Laws of Cricket Committee at the MCC (www.lords.org/mcc).
Background
Wanstead’s management committee would like to offer an explanation to all players and followers of the game, and seeks to offer as much notice as possible to visiting teams.
Over the past few seasons we have received numerous complaints from our two neighbouring tennis clubs, of batsmen hitting shots over the fence into the tennis courts, thus endangering those whose experience is limited to soft and deformable balls.
Litigation and Indemnity
Our insurers advise that we are indemnified only if we cover our ground entirely, or cover the two adjacent tennis clubs, or provide BSI Kitemarked “hard-hats” for all tennis players and spectators AS WELL AS ensure that there is a qualified safety steward to fit all tennis players with the helmets. We have, therefore, conducted an extensive cost-benefit analysis of the possible solutions. In the current economic conditions, and with our failure to determine any suitable helmet sponsor, we have resolved simply not to hit any hard balls at the tennis clubs.
Health and Safety Determination
The only safe way to ensure this essential measure, enacted in the interest of health and safety, is to require ANY opposing batsman who hits, appears to hit, or gives the impression of being able to hit the ball towards the tennis clubs, to bat right-handed or left-handed at the direction of the home captain. Batsmen who cross to bat at the other end of the wicket may be required to change hands, also at the direction of the home captain. All visiting batsmen will be required to swear an oath or undertake a solemn affirmation of their original dexterity or sinistrality directly before taking guard. Umpires will carry copies of the scriptures of all major faiths to enable this, and the club will be happy to issue electronic versions of the scriptures on specially colour-coded USB drives to avoid umpires being weighed down by heavy books. The club is in the process of forming a special committee to decide on coding each pen drive according to faith, and will seek advice from appropriate clergymen and clergywomen.
Statement of Equity and Inclusion
This measure applies without exception also to women batsmen, and to cricketers of all ages and levels of ability.
Implementation
- All home captains have received special training in the implementation of this ruling, from the club’s newly instituted Health and Safety Laterality Committee.
- All umpires appointed to matches at Overton Drive are required by the Essex League to attend a pre-match briefing at 0830 on match days, after which time they will officiate in a practice Twenty20 match to accustom themselves to the innovation. Visiting captains may attend an optional practice session during the evening before any match, but will be asked to provide their own flood-lighting and power supply.
Dispute Resolution
In the event of any visiting side objecting to their batsmen having to change laterality, the league has resolved that the match will be forfeited in favour of Wanstead Cricket Club.
Future Development
This is an experimental ruling that applies until midnight on 31 March 2013. If the experiment proves successful, it may be extended to any of the other Wanstead venues even if there is no tennis ground or other objector in the vicinity of those grounds.
Nigel Hutchings
Hon Secretary, Wanstead Cricket Club Management Committee