The traditional cricket tea. Could it become a thing of the past in the Tolchards DCL?

By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

TRADITIONAL tea intervals could become a thing of the past depending on what Friday night’s Tolchards Devon Cricket League annual meeting decides.

Covid-19 rules and regulations meant the full tea experience was absent from the cut-down Devon League programme played out over eight weeks from late July this year.

Players were encouraged to take a packed tea to the game if they wanted something to eat between innings.

A proposal, an amendment and a separate alternative all removing the necessity for the home team to lay on a spread at tea time have been put forward to the annual meeting, which is being held on-line using a Zoom link.

Four clubs – Exwick, South Brent, Paignton and Plymouth CS&R – have proposed the complete scrapping of an official tea.

League bosses have watered down the ‘no-tea’ proposal by giving home clubs the option to provide one if they want at a cost of £33 to the opposition. Visiting clubs and umpires would be required to be given three days notice if no tea is provided.

A second version of the ‘no-tea’ proposal is identical in all but one respect: the home club can charge more than £33 but has to tell the visiting club how much it will cost at least three days before the game is due to take place.

Cash penalties will be imposed on clubs who fail to stick to the time frame outlined in the league’s counter proposals.

Devon League annual meetings have a long history of dragging on for hours while pages of proposed rule and regulation changes are debated then voted-on. Friday’s meeting is unlikely to be a marathon as clubs have been encouraged to vote in advance on the limited number of agenda items.

Barely a handful of rule and regulation changes will need voting on and other than the tea debate there is little to ruffle feathers.

Rules relating to entering results on the league’s Play-Cricket website have been tidied up. Likewise, there has been some minor revision to the rules and regs relating to how games are scored on match days.

Three applications to join the league have been received, all from teams that have been members before.

Lewdown 2nd XI, Chagford 2nd XI and Culmstock are the applicants.