TIME restraints have been put in place for how long an innings will last in league matches in the Aire-Wharfe League next season.

In 50-over matches (Divisions One to Three), clubs will have 3hr 10min to bowl their allocation, while in Divisions Four to Six, where it is only 45 overs per innings, the time allowance is 2hr 51min.

If clubs fail to meet these deadlines, they will receive a written warning for a first offence and a three-point deduction for any breach after that.

The proposal by Bilton, which was seconded by Horsforth but opposed by the league's management committee, was passed 18-15 at the league's annual meeting, with two abstentions.

However, the league's management committee proposed that time limits be brought in for cup competitions.

Again clubs will have 2hr 51min to bowl their 45 overs.

However, a transgression here will result in five runs being awarded to the batting side for each over still to be bowled when the time limit is reached.

Any time limit will be reduced if there are less than 45 overs bowled per innings.

However, umpires can take into account such factors as lost balls, injuries, time wasting by the batsmen and any additional breaks in play, not including drinks breaks.

The proposal, seconded by Addingham, was passed 22-10.

No time will be lost from the allocated time in league or cup matches if sun stops play.

In a nod to the 2019 World Cup final, cup competitions (Waddilove Cup, Birtwhistle Cup and Ian Chappell Cup) will be decided by a Super Over if the scores are tied, rather than resulting in a replay at the away team's ground the following Sunday.

This proposal, by the management committee and seconded by Calverley, was passed 33-2.

However, the league have yet to decide if wickets lost also being equal is still a determining factor before we get to a Super Over.

Covid-19 prevented any play for virtually half a season this year, which made Bilton think what should constitute a campaign that is worthy of promotion and relegation.

They reckoned, and Bolton Villas agreed by seconding it, that if the ECB or the government stepped in to delay the season, then a minimum of 16 matches should be played, including rained-off matches, from a 22-game programme not ending later than September 23, to warrant promotion and relegation.

However, the proposal only received 11 votes, with 24 voting against so it failed.

The league want to step down hard on clubs who concede matches, suggesting that the guilty party be deducted 20 points, with the opposition being awarded 20 points, unless all of the matches in that division are cancelled, in which case the opposition would receive just three points.

Calverley seconded the proposal but even though the management committee proposed it, they left it up to clubs to decide, with 26 voting for and nine against.

Another worrying trend is that of teams playing matches with less than 11 players.

Bilton proposed that any team that does not field 11 players should be deducted two points from their total gained in the match, but that clubs cannot lose more points in a match by this deduction than they have gained.

Leeds Modernians seconded the proposal and it was passed 19-15.

Transferred players will no longer have to feature for their new club before August 1.

The rule change proposal, from Bilton and seconded by Horsforth, was passed 23-12.

Two proposals were put forward regarding umpires' fees for the 2021 season.

Bilton proposed (seconded by Leeds Modernians) that umpires' travelling expenses be knocked on the head and payments of £45 be made to each umpire (up from £44.75) in a 100-over match or £65 if there is only one umpire (£66.75 in 2020).

The equivalent rates for 90-over matches was proposed as £40 and £60 (same as 2020) and for 80-over matches £35 and £50 (down from £35.50 and £53.25), with a £10 payment to the umpires if they travel and there is no play (down respectively from £22.25, £20 and £17.75).

This was option one, with option two from the management committee (seconded by Bolton Villas) being £50, £75 and £25 for 100-over matches, £45, £67.50 and £22.50 for 90-over matches and £40, £60 and £20 for 80-over matches, with no-play fees being £25, £22.50 and £20.

Option one received six votes and option two 13 votes but neither was sufficient to be passed, so the 2020 rates will apply again.

When the 2021 league annual meeting is held, the difference in votes needed for a rule change proposal to be passed if the management committee support the proposal or oppose the proposal will disappear.

For the 2020 annual general meeting, there needed to be 24 votes against a proposal that the management committee supported for it to fail, whereas if it was a proposal that the management committee did not support then it only needed a simple majority to go through.

From next year, any rule change proposal will only require a simple majority to be passed, after a proposal by Bilton that was seconded by Calverley and passed 21-14.