Hi Everyone,
We hope you’re all keeping safe and well.
This is not good news.
BCEW regret to announce that following the recent ECB announcement on professional cricket and after speaking with ECB about how this effects the recreational game, we have no option but to further extend the suspension of almost all blind cricket activity.
There will now be no blind cricket until at least Friday 7th August. This means that there will definitely not be any matches, either competitive or friendly, before that date and all development activities remain suspended for the foreseeable future too. There has been a slight change to the situation re training which we will detail further down this announcement and this time the extention to the suspension means we have had to call some competitions off all together.
There is still no way to guarantee when or if the season will actually get underway, but we advise all involved to please plan as if it will be the second weekend of August until told otherwise. From everything we are being told by ECB, Sport England, UK Sport and a variety of Cricket Boards the outlook for this summer still isn’t looking good, but we continue to monitor the situation and will do everything that can be safely done to try and provide some cricket if it is possible to do so.
If we are able to start by 7th August our plans are as follows:
- We are sorry to say that all of our national and regional leagues have been cancelled for 2020 as there is no longer sufficient time to play enough matches to form a sensible league table.
- We will continue to target playing the BBS Cup, BCEW Twenty20 Cup, the Regional Twenty20 Cup and the Development Festival.
- To try and organise some sort of competitive cricket for those clubs with little to no cup involvement.
Training
The government have announced that people in England will be able to exercise outside with up to five others from different households from Monday, provided that social distancing guidelines are followed. This means people who play team sports can meet to train together and do things like conditioning or fitness sessions, although physical contact is not allowed. It will also allow parents to accompany their children to coaching sessions carried out on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. If you are thinking of trying to organise a session with up to five others you should consider whether with VI people it will be possible to properly social distance or to avoid any physical contact. If you are determined to go ahead then we would strongly advise all participants to wear gloves.
The guidance that public transport should only be used when it is strictly necessary remains in place and we’re afraid playing cricket does not qualify. So we would very strongly advise against any sort of cricket activity that involves anyone having to use public transport to get to or from the venue.
We’re sorry that the news is so relentlessly negative, but the most important thing right now is looking after the safety of our players, officials, coaches and those NHS or care workers who are putting themselves at risk to keep everyone healthy.
Stay safe and stay well everyone.