1

 TITLE

  1.1

The name of the League shall be the  Southern Premier Cricket League (hereinafter called "the League").  At the discretion of the Management Committee, the League Title may incorporate words or symbols referring to a sponsor or other appropriate body.

  2

OBJECTS

  2.1

The promotion, advancement and protection of the interests of cricket in Hampshire and its environs.

  2.2

To maintain a development fund for the benefit of Member Clubs and former Member Clubs.

  2.3

Co-operation with the Hampshire Cricket Board, the Hampshire Cricket League and any other body having similar objects to the League.

  2.4

Co-operation with and the provision of assistance and advice to Member Clubs on any matter affecting the interests of the Member Club or the League.

  2.5

Consideration of any other means for promoting the interests of the League.

  3

OFFICERS AND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

  3.1

The Officers of the League shall be the President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Fixtures Secretary and Honorary Results Secretary all of whom shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and hold Office until the next Annual General Meeting, when they shall retire but be eligible for re-election.

  3.2

The League shall be governed by a Management Committee (hereinafter called "the Committee") consisting of the Officers of the League and six other Committee members duly elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall be responsible for the management of the League, appoint Sub-Committees (which shall include a Discipline Sub-Committee and an Appeals Sub-Committee) and have the powers of co-option.  Co-opted members shall be entitled to vote. The Committee may submit proposals to any General Meeting of the League after due notice has been given to Member Clubs. The Committee is elected to implement and interpret the Rules of the League. The alteration or suspension of  League Rules can only take place with the approval of Member Clubs either at the Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary Meeting.

  3.3

The Committee shall meet as necessary and will be responsible for the government of the League within the framework of this Constitution and the Rules and shall have the power to deal with anything not covered by the Constitution or the Rules and to decide on the interpretation of this Constitution or the Rules in the event of any disagreement as to their meaning and such decision shall be final and binding on all Member Clubs.

  3.4

No business shall be conducted by the Committee unless at least two officers and two other Committee members be present.  Where necessary the Chairman of the meeting shall exercise a casting vote.

  4

MEMBERSHIP

  4.1

Membership of the League shall be open to bona fide clubs approved by the Committee. Clubs shall be members or affiliated members of the Hampshire Cricket Board and shall hold a Certificate of Accreditation issued by the Committee confirming that they satisfy the minimum facilities requirements for ground and youth development as specified by the Hampshire Cricket Board Development Officer.  A Club shall cease to be a member of the league after the Annual General Meeting next following the withdrawal of any Certificate of Accreditation granted to it, or immediately on cessation of membership (or affiliate membership) of the Hampshire Cricket Board.

  4.2

Only a General Meeting may expel from membership any Member Club.

  4.3

Full Membership is accorded to those Clubs playing in any division in  the Southern Premier League. There shall be no Associate Membership. 

  4.4

All Member Clubs shall take out Public Liability Insurance cover at a minimum level to be agreed at each Annual General Meeting and shall produce evidence of current insurance to the Committee by 20 April each year.  A Club whose insurance renewal is due after 20 April shall produce evidence of renewal not later than the renewal date. Any Club failing to meet this requirement will be suspended from membership until evidence is produced.  It shall be sufficient compliance with this rule if the Member Club has produced such evidence to the satisfaction of the Committee of the Hampshire Cricket League.

  5

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

  5.1

The Annual General Meeting of the League shall take place in November at a venue, at a date and time to be decided by the Committee. Notice of every Annual General Meeting will be circulated to Member Clubs at least fourteen days before the date of the meeting. Proposed alterations to rules and other proposals, including nominations for the Management Committee, will be considered at the Annual General Meeting subject to written notice by two Member Clubs, certified by the Chairman and Secretary of each as having the support of the Club committees, being given to the General Secretary before the fifteenth day of September.

  5.2

No proposal to amend the Constitution shall be deemed to be carried unless it receives not less than two-thirds of the votes cast at the meeting. At any General Meeting each Member Club shall have one vote. No Member Club shall be entitled to vote at a meeting by proxy. In the event of a tied vote the Chairman of the Meeting or his nominated deputy shall have a casting vote.  Voting shall be by show of hands unless the Chairman directs otherwise. 

  5.3

Where a motion affects the Rules of Play in a particular Division of the league, only Clubs with teams affected by the proposed change may vote.  The decision of the Chairman of the meeting shall be final in determining the effects of this rule.  No proposal to amend the Rules shall be deemed to be carried unless it receives not less than two-thirds of the votes cast.

  6

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

  6.1

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened at the discretion of the Committee or on receipt by the General Secretary of a written request from not less than one half of the Member Clubs. Notice of, and Proceedings at an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be the same as those at Annual General Meetings.

  7

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND PAYMENTS

  7.1

The League's annual subscription shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting and shall be paid by Member Clubs to the Hon. Treasurer within 30 days of being so requested by him.  Failure to make payment in due time shall be visited by a levy (see 12 below).

  7.2

The Hon. Treasurer shall deposit subscriptions in an bank account approved by the Committee (and be responsible for keeping all records of the League's financial transactions).

  7.3

Payments made to the league should be by cheque to be made, payable to the "Southern Premier Cricket League".

  7.4

All payments made by the League by cheque or other financial instrument shall bear the signature of any two of the Hon. Treasurer, Chairman and General Secretary.

  7.5

Officers and Management Committee Members (including co-opted members) are entitled to claim reimbursement of travelling expenses incurred by attendance at  meetings, at rates approved by the Committee.

  7.6

Member Clubs may be required to purchase a minimum number of League handbooks, subject to conditions that the Executive Committee may impose.

  8

PRESENTATION OF ACCOUNTS

  8.1

The accounts of the League shall be kept by the Honorary Treasurer and such accounts shall be audited annually by the Auditors appointed at the Annual General Meeting. For the purposes of such audit, the accounts shall close on 30th September in each year.

9

PRESENTATION OF AWARDS

9.1

The League shall hold an Annual Dinner at which presentations will be made. The function shall be held on a convenient date in November or December; its venue and general format shall be decided by the Committee.

9.2

Member Clubs will be required to purchase eight tickets for the function, or such lesser number as the Management Committee may specify.

9.3

The League shall provide and award 13 individual medals to the winning Club of each Division. Those Clubs may purchase additional individual medals with the consent of the Committee. The League shall also present a trophy to those Clubs. The Clubs shall hold the trophies until 1st September of the following year and return them in good order to the General Secretary.  Arrangements for engraving trophies shall be the responsibility of the League.

10

ANNUAL KNOCKOUT CUP

10.1

There shall be an annual knockout competition, the jurisdiction of which will be vested in the Committee.

11

RESIGNATIONS

11.1

Except for the jointly agreed promotion and relegation arrangement with the Hampshire Cricket League, no Member Club shall be entitled to become a member of an alternative League competition unless it has given notice in writing to the General Secretary by 1st April in the year preceding that in which it proposes to become a member of that alternative league competition.

12

DISCIPLINE

12.1

General

12.1.1

All disciplinary matters connected with the League or the conduct of matches played under the auspices of  the League shall be dealt with in accordance with the England & Wales Cricket Board's Disciplinary Model Rules which, except as otherwise agreed by a General Meeting of the League shall be deemed to be incorporated within this Constitution and form part of the Rules and Playing Conditions of the League.

12.2

Fines

12.2.1

Subject to the provisions of the Model Disciplinary Rules, the following scale of fines shall apply:

12..3.1

Breach of Disciplinary Rules by a Club:  Level  5.

12.3.2

Breach of Disciplinary Rules by a player: Level  3.

12.3.3

Failure by a Club to keep a fixture for reasons other than weather, or by order of the League: Level 4.  (Any expenses incurred by the opposing Club shall be met by the offending Club.)

12.3.4

Failure to be represented at a General Meeting: Level 3.

12.3.5

Failure to pay membership subscription by the due date: Level  3.

12.3.6

Late start for reasons other than weather: Level 2.

12.3.7

Failure to telephone a result: Level 2.

12.3.8

Failure to send a completed result sheet: Level 3.

12.3.8.1

Second failure for the same team in one season: Level 4.

12.3.8.2

Third and subsequent failures: at the discretion of the Management Committee

12.3.8.3

Failure to notify the Results Secretary of cancellation of a match:  Level  3.

12.3.9

Failure to reply to League correspondence within specified times: Level  3.

12.3.10

Failure to advise a proposed change of venue: Level 3

12.3.11

Failure to provide a Ground Report: Level 3.

12.3.12

Failure to provide a report on Umpires: Level 3.

12.3.13

Failure to notify the appointed Umpires of cancellation of a match:  Level  3

12.4

A fine shall be not more than the maximum amount prescribed by the following levels

Level 5  =  £100,    Level 4  =  £30,  Level 3  =  £15,  Level 2  =  £10,    Level 1   =  £3  

12.5

The Management Committee may from time to time revise these figures

  12.6

Observance of penalties imposed by other bodies.

  12.6.1 

Suspensions imposed by other organisations affiliated to the Hampshire Cricket Board and to neighbouring County Boards shall also apply to the League. Such organisations will also be notified of and invited to apply suspensions imposed by the League.

  13

CLUB INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE

  13.1

Member Clubs shall advise the General Secretary of all changes of Club Secretary and of Club information in the League Handbook, as soon as they occur. They shall also deal promptly with League correspondence.

  14

WINDING UP

  14.1

In the event of the League being wound up, a financial statement of accounts will be prepared and audited. If these accounts reveal a deficiency, every Member Club at the date of winding up and every Club which ceased to be a member within the year preceding the date of winding up shall contribute equally to clear such deficiency. If a surplus is revealed, it shall be distributed in a manner to be decided by the Final General Meeting.