Cricket is coming back
ALMOST three months late, there will be play in the Derbyshire County Cricket League tomorrow.
The season was due to start on April 18 but play was delayed for reasons which will be obvious to all.
But the recreational game was given the green light to return last week and that will be a relief for all.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic will still be felt, of course, and the format will be different from usual, with divisions split in two to minimise travel.
Matches will be 40 overs per side in all divisions, start times will be a uniform 1pm and there will be no promotion or relegation. The winners of each regionalised division will play-off in September, at the end of the 10-match season, to at least lend the programme some level of competitiveness.
The Jackson and Butterley Cup competitions are scheduled for Sundays and will start later in July, with a healthy number of clubs/ teams involved.
The DCCL Executive Committee had worked long and hard throughout May and June to plan the resumption and had already issued a full fixture programme with a planned restart date of July 11 before the Government gave the goahead.
By chance, all fell into place. Other leagues nationwide are either starting later in the summer or not at all.
Some member clubs opened their clubhouses on July 4, thanks to the relaxing of restrictions, and all but a few are ready and raring to go this weekend.
Where facilities are either off-limits or more preparation time is needed, the committee are allowing rearrangement of matches to Sundays and it is hoped that clubs will help each other out to get as much cricket played as possible in the two months or so available.
Temporary rule changes have been made to facilitate the revised format and the ECB issued guidance and match-day protocols on Wednesday evening which include separate guidance for umpires, scorers and spectators.
It must be added that no-one is being forced to play cricket but clubs will have worked hard to minimise risk and will be fully focused on the health, safety and welfare of everyone involved on match days.
Clubs have been informed that if they feel unable to fulfil the requirements in terms of health and safety then they should not go ahead with matches. The relaxed rules mean there will be no penalty handed out for conceded matches. The safety of all must be paramount.
The Beechwood Mazda Premier Division, like all divisions in 2020, has been split between north and south. Eckington, Sandiacre Town, Langley Mill United, Chesterfield, Marehay and Denby will contest the northern division, while Ockbrook & Borrowash, Alvaston & Boulton, Spondon, Elvaston, Ticknall and
Swarkestone will contest the south.
Similarly, in In2Work Division One, the splits are Cutthorpe, Wirksworth & Middleton, Duffield, Ilkeston Rutland, Morton Colliery and Alfreton in the north, with Alrewas, Rolleston, Dunstall, Lullington
Park, Sawley & Long Eaton Park and Clifton in the south.
Fewer professionals and overseas players will be on show, with only six county contracted players signed by teams in the top three divisions.
In Premier Division South, Swarkestone will have the services of Harvey Hosein and Nils Priestley with Aussie Ben Hutchinson returning.
A&B still have the services of Billy Godleman, while, in Premier Division North, Matt Critchley will play for Chesterfield when available.
George Scrimshaw will play when available for Dunstall in Division One South.
Notable other overseas signings are Jacobus Du Plooy (Ockbrook & Borrowash), Cameron Gordon (Eckington), Scott Palombo (Spondon), Luke Dallas (Alrewas) and Danial Zaheer (Rolleston).