npower Village Cup underway this weekend
Released
on: April 17, 2009, 5:10 am
Author: npower
Industry: Sports
The
npower Village Cup 2009 gets underway this Sunday with a renewed
mission to promote and encourage the true essence of traditional
village cricket.
New
competition rules introduced for the first time this season have
redefined eligibility criteria for players and clubs. This means
that participating teams cannot compete in the premier division
of their local league or play in the ECB Knock Out cup. On an
individual basis, no players can receive payment or play league
cricket for another club in the same season.
"We
want to encourage true village teams and players to enter the
npower
Village Cup and we know that in the past some sides have chosen
not to get involved because of the presence of bigger and better
resourced clubs," explained John Stern, editor of The Wisden
Cricketer magazine, which organises and administers the competition.
"This
is a competition aimed solely at village cricketers so it’s
important that we retain the essence of village cricket, which
is in danger of being squeezed out by a more professional approach
to the recreational game. The spirit of the competition is about
local cricketers playing for their local village and the new rules
will encourage that to happen," said Tim Percival of competition
sponsor npower.
In
response to the new approach, dozens of villages have entered
the competition for the first time, joining hundreds of other
teams from across England, Wales and Scotland.
Typifying
the first time entrants for the 2009 season are clubs from West
Tanfield in North Yorkshire, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, Dyhram
& Hinton, Gloucestershire, Damersham in Hampshire and Buckland
Monachorum from Devon.
At stake for all clubs is the chance to play at the most famous
cricket ground in the world. Lord's will once again host the final,
courtesy of MCC, on Monday 14 September, allowing players the
ultimate privilege of experiencing its unique atmosphere and unrivalled
sense of occasion.
Supporters
and media can follow the progress of the 2009
npower Village Cup online at www.thewisdencricketer.com,
while full details of npower's range of cricket sponsorships can
be viewed at www.npower.com/cricket
Ends
Notes for Editors:
1. npower, sponsors of the 2009
npower Ashes Series, is one of Britain's largest electricity
suppliers and supplies gas, electricity and related services to
6.6 million customers across the UK. 2. npower sponsors the Test
Match Series in England, Women's Test Series and the Twenty20
Cup.
About
npower:
Npower, sponsors of the 2009 npower Ashes Series, is one of Britain's
largest electricity suppliers and supplies gas, electricity and
related services to 6.6 million customers across the UK.
RWE
npower has been awarded the prestigious CommunityMark from Business
in the Community (BITC). npower is the only utility business,
amongst 21 other companies in the UK, to receive this accolade.
The CommunityMark is a new BITC standard which has been created
to recognise companies that are good investors in local communities
and who have brought about real and positive changes.
The
npower Active programme, which is run in partnership with the
English Federation of Disability Sport, has been awarded a prestigious
'Silver Big Tick' by Business in the Community.
PR Contact:
Tim Percival
PR & Sponsorship Manager
npower
Oak House
Worcester
WR4 9FP
01905 340 876
www.npower.com