Presidents Cup action for clubs
IT may be a while before the clubhouses are back to capacity, but the welcome thwack of leather upon willow looks set to return for our Lancashire League clubs.
The League’s executive committee met at the start of the month to discuss and set competition rules for any cricket played in 2020 and agreed on a Presidents Cup competition, subject to change based on Government advice and restrictions imposed.
At the time they established August 1st as the start date for the competition and, just days later,
Prime Minister Boris Johnson back-tracked on his earlier claim that issues surrounding communal teas and dressing rooms made the sport unsafe.
Speaking at a Downing Street press briefing last Friday, Johnson admitted he had ‘invoked the third umpire’ and now accepted that the sport could return, subject to a series of as-yet unpublished guidelines.
The Lancashire League executive committee said if any kind of competition was to take place in 2020 it needed to be arranged at this time in order for clubs to prepare themselves.
However, they also stressed that participation would be down to individual clubs to decide and there would be no punishment for clubs not wishing to take part. In a letter sent out to all member clubs, the Lancashire League executive committee said: “The competition rules have been set whilst we are still unaware of what measures “adaptive cricket” is going to impose on us and so again, matters are still subject to change.
“But whilst it is reported recreational cricket will be allowed to commence, we want to ensure we as a League have some form of competition in place for you and that you know exactly where you stand with regards the competition, fixtures and dates etc.
“We appreciate clubs’ decisions with regards to participation may change once the Government / ECB announce and publish their list of restrictions and adaptive cricket measures, but we do not feel we can wait any longer to finalise the format of any competitive cricket and therefore afford those clubs wishing to take part the best opportunity to prepare for the competition.
“Two very important points we feel we must stress again to all member clubs is that you will not be penalised in any way if you as a club do not wish to take part in the competition organized, we totally understand that this season and the decided format is not beneficial for you as a club.
“Secondly, I believe we are safe to say that one confirmed restriction that will be announced by the Government / ECB with regards the commencement of recreational cricket is that no changing or showering facilities will be permitted which brings its own, many potential problems.
“This restriction may again change clubs’ views as to whether they enter the competition and a fact that must be discussed with players who would be most affected.”