ECB COMPETITIONS PLAYER ELIGIBILTY CLARIFIED: MAGHULL, NORTHERN AND BOOTLE MARCH ON!

Date: 12th May 2012

This notice clarifies the position relating to player eligibility .....

......for the ECB Kingfisher Cup Competition and corrects the inaccurate and damaging information initially published elsewhere and thankfully, now corrected.

Following claims by Maghull’s opponents, Tonge, that Maghull had played an ineligible player, ECB officials contacted the BFS L&DCC for clarification of the Maghull overseas player’s registration status. This led to further enquiries from the ECB to BFS L&DCC in relation to the status of the overseas players at Northern and Bootle.

With the help of BFS L&DCC officials the ECB was able to resolve the position and we are very pleased to report that all three clubs have been exonerated and will continue in the competition.

For clarity:

Player eligibility for the ECB Kingfisher Beer Cup in this situation is governed primarily by ECB Generic Rule 3.2 i.e. Regulations governing the qualification of Cricketers for Competitive County Cricket and Generic Rule 3.6 .7 – Club Qualifications.

This enables overseas players with British passports to play in this competition.

LDCC Clubs should however note that in the ECB T20 competition the qualification rule is different and states A cricketer shall only be eligible to play for a club in the Competition if he is qualified to play for England.

We also take the opportunity to clarify the registration position in relation to players from Northern Ireland and Scotland.

In accordance with ECB Regulations governing the Qualification and Registration of Cricketers, players from these parts of the United Kingdom are classified as being from the European Economic Area (EEA). As advised by ECB officials such players are appropriately registered in Premier Leagues as Category 1b and are not bound by residence qualifications in England and Wales.