THE Shepherd Neame Kent Cricket League have changed their rules regarding promotion and relegation.

In amendments to the league’s constitution at their annual meeting, it was agreed to change the wording of the rules to avoid any one club having a second, third or fourth team playing each other in the same division.

With an influx of third and fourth teams to the league in recent seasons, the wording of rule 17.2 was also changed so that clubs are no longer allowed to ‘load the strength’ of any of their sides artificially, for example by playing first team regulars in their fourth team’s final game in order to clinch promotion.

The meeting voted unanimously to accept the league’s code of conduct, accepted a £3 rise in umpires’ match fees up to £32 and introduced a rule change encouraging umpires and captains to meet ahead of every league game to discuss the spirit of cricket.

In the only major change to the management committee, Howard Smith stood down as league chairman after seven years to be replaced by Nigel Keess, chairman of Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club.