Quatt forfeit big league tie
Thursday 29th July 2010, 10:00AM BST.
Shropshire village cricket club Quatt will forfeit this weekend’s Marston’s Shropshire Premier League clash with leaders Madeley.
Quatt have the biggest game in their history on Sunday when they head to Warwickshire side Fillongley in the nPower National Village knockout quarter-final.
Victory would put them within one win of the final at Lord’s, but the game clashes with an extra round of Sunday fixtures in the Marston’s League.
Quatt were due to play Madeley – who top the table – but have been unable to round up enough players to fulfil their first or second XI league games.
It means Madeley will receive 20 points for victory without taking the field, and their title rivals have reacted angrily to the League’s handling of the situation.
“We have tried to find a good outcome but it’s just not feasible,” said Craig Evans, captain of Quatt’s Village Knockout team.
“We have got big availability problems with the holidays starting to kick in.
“We had about five second team regulars who could have played in the first XI against Madeley and the rest would have been made up of third XI players.
Conditions
“That would have meant sending 14 and 15-year-old kids to play against the top of the table team.
“There is an ECB directive about giving youngsters safe and enjoyable conditions to play in and, as a club, we don’t think that would be the case.
“It’s not that we don’t care about the league.
“We are really disappointed because had we played Trysull a couple of weeks back and Madeley this Sunday and had we managed to win both, would have been in there fighting for a top three finish.”
Marston’s League chairman Mike Robinson said no decision on whether Quatt will be punished for failing to fulfil the fixture will be taken until a meeting of the executive committee.
“It’s not satisfactory that a game won’t take place but circumstances have conspired against us,” he said.
Quatt have received one boost with news that FBC Manby Bowlder League officials have agreed to cancel their third XI division seven games at Lilleshall on Sunday.
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What a joke the league committee is. Quatt should have been given special dispensation to rearrange this league match given the circumstances, this now affects the whole integrity of the league and as well as penalising Quatt the other losers are the clubs challenging Madeley at the top of the table. Other leagues have supported their representatives in National competitions – rules must be changed so that this never happens again, lets hope that Quatt put this mess behind them and win on Sunday I for one will be hoping they will – its a shame the league havent been so supportive.
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Good luck to Quatt.
I think any team would have made that decision, I bet you are glad of the support from the officiating board.
If you win the competition it will be amazing to see who comes out of the woodwork and said they supported you.
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Imagine the uproar if it pours down on Sunday and all the games are abandoned..5pts each except for Madeley who bag a nice 20!
Mike Robinson should hang his head in shame
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If Quatt had reached the 20/20 KO final on the 22/8/10 that is a reserve date for the Npower Village Cup Semi-final day would the league have forced the 20/20 KO in front of the National KO ?
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