Schedule for new season revealed
The West of England Premier League, Somerset Cricket League, Bristol & District League and Wiltshire League are all ready to begin their seasons after waiting several months for it to be safe enough to be given the green light to play competitive cricket.
As the lockdown lessened, competitive cricket was allowed to resume, whilst following the current government guidance on social distancing and best practices, on July 11, with local leagues giving their clubs time to play friendlies whilst they sorted out their rescheduled campaigns and fixture lists.
With no promotion or relegation this season, clubs have been placed into smaller groups/bubbles to avoid lengthy travel and everyone will just be glad to be able to get out there and play some sort of league cricket.
The West of England Premier League has split its members into nine Covid Groups of up to eight teams with fixtures beginning on Saturday and running through until September 5 after every team has played each other once.
In Group A, Bath’s first and second sides will meet Knowle, Brislington, Lansdown, Frome, Midsomer Norton and Keynsham. The season will begin with a Bath derby at Royal Parade, with Lansdown hosting Frome and Midsomer Norton welcoming Keynsham to Withies Lane.
Corsham and Marshfield have been placed into Group E, alongside Biddestone, Burbage & Easton Royal, Chippenham, Goatacre, Potterne and Swindon.
Marshfield will start their campaign at home to Burbage & Easton Royal, with Corsham at Swindon. Corsham 2nd have been put in Group I with Avebury, Calne, Devizes, Potterne 2nd, Trowbridge, Warminster and Royal Wootton Bassett, beginning at home against Warminster.
The Bristol & District League has split its clubs into Pods of six and will play five games between August 1 and August 29. Pod B features Keynsham 2nd and Timsbury and will also face Bedminster 2nd, Claverham, Clevedon 2nd and Whitchurch. Keynsham 2nd will open the season at home to Claverham, while Timsbury will travel to Clevedon 2nd.
Pod C will see Bitton begin their campaign at home to Almondsbury, with fixtures against Bishopston, Downend 2nd, Hanham and Lodway to follow.
Bath 3rd, Chew Magna, Lansdown 2nd and Midsomer Norton 2nd will come together in Pod D, they are also due to face Brislington 2nd and Knowle 2nd. The opening fixtures will see Chew Magna host Brislington 2nd, Bath 3rd at Knowle and Lansdown 2nd entertaining Midsomer Norton 2nd. Hampset are in Pod E and will begin at Cleeve. They are also scheduled to play Bedminster 3rd, Failand & Portbury, Portishead and Backwell Flax Bourton.
Bath 4th are in Pod H and will come up against Chilcompton Sports, alongside Brislington 3rd, Bristol Lions, Knowle Woodpeckers and PR Royal. Bath 4th will host Bristol Lions first, with Chilcompton Sports at Knowle Woodpeckers.
Hampset 2nd, Keynsham 3rd, Saltford Fairway and Timsbury 2nd have been drawn together in Pod M, they will also face Stanton Drew and Whitchurch 2nd.
Hampset 2nd will begin at home to Stanton Drew, Timsbury 2nd and Keynsham 3rd will face off, with Saltford Fairway away at Whitchurch 2nd.
Bitton 2nd are in Pod Q and will start at Frampton Cotterell 2nd, as well as meeting Churchways, Dyrham & Hinton, Taveners and Carsons & Mangotsfield.
Chilcompton Sports 2nd are in Pod R alongside Hampset 3rd and Midsomer Norton Methodist, they will also face Brislington 4th and Whitchurch 3rd. Chilcompton Sports 2nd will host Hampset 3rd on the opening day, with Midsomer Norton Methodist at home to Brislington 4th and Timsbury 3rd at Whitchurch 3rd.
The Wiltshire Cricket League has split its sides into 13 different numbered divisions of between 4-8 teams.
Bradford on Avon, Hinton Charterhouse, Beckington and Bear Flat are in Division 21 alongside Beehive Southwick and Heytesbury & Sutton Veny. Bear Flat will travel to Beehive Southwick in their opener, with Bradford on Avon hosting Heytesbury & Sutton Veny and Hinton Charterhouse entertaining Beckington. The teams have decided to play six games up until August 29.
Frome 2nd and Box will meet in the opening fixture of Division 26, they have also been drawn against Warminster 2nd, Trowbridge 2nd, Winsley and Keevil. The teams have decided to play each other twice, with the campaign running until September 26.
There’s just four teams in Division 41, with Combe Down and Marshfield 2nd meeting Christian Malford and Sherston Magna. They are planning on playing six fixtures up to August 29.
Division 46 has the maximum eight sides with Beckington 2nd and Corsham 3rd in line to start against Trowbridge 3rd at home and Chippenham 3rd at home respectively.
Biddestone 3rd, Winsley 2nd, Spye Park and Melksham are also in the division, with games taking place up until September 26. Bathford are in Division 66 with Avebury 2nd, Chippenham 4th, Winsley 3rd, Malmesbury 2nd and Lacock. They are also looking to play until September 26.
Marshfield 3rd will be in Division 81 and face Goatacre 4th away before meeting Calne 3rd, Devizes 3rd, Warminster 3rd and Beehive Southwick.
They are due to play each other once up until August 29.
The North Somerset League is continuing with its four divisions, with all six teams playing each other once between August 2 and August 30.
In East Division, Bitton will host Bradley Stoke first with Hampset and Lansdown 2nd facing off, The Star will entertain West United.
In the South Division, Kilmersdon will start away at Bristol Afghans with Keynsham 2nd at home to Harptree Villages. Whitchurch and Knowle make up the other teams.