Valley quartet set for return to action

THE sound of leather on willow will return to the Valley this weekend with a threeweek tournament serving as a warm-up ahead of the return of official Lancashire League competition.

Haslingden, Bacup, Rawtenstall and Ramsbottom CCs will vie for the Surridge Sport Valley Challenge Trophy in a 40-over round robin format.

The clubs’ second and third elevens will also be returning to action after the easing of lockdown restrictions on team sports.

The Lancashire League season will be condensed into a four-group competition called the President’s Cup, commencing on Saturday, August 1, it’s been confirmed.

Neal Wilkinson, chairman of Bacup Cricket Club, said with three spare weeks before the full return of competitive action local clubs have organised their own tournament. The challenge trophy will get underway on Sunday, July 12 with Haslingden hosting Bacup, and Rawtenstall travelling to Ramsbottom.

He said the Bacup lads are “raring to go” and they are just ironing out the details of how Covid restrictions will affect the action.

Neal added: “All clubs, I’m sure, took advantage of the £10,000 government grant we were able to claim. That money came in very quickly. That’s been absolutely vital in keeping us ticking over and being able to pay our bills.

“All clubs make their money via the bar so it’s vital that we are up and running in the pubs.”

The Surridge Sport Valley Challenge Trophy starts on Sunday with Haslingden facing Bacup and Ramsbottom entertaining Rawtenstall.

On Sunday 19th July, Bacup are at home against Ramsbottom while Rawtenstall take on Haslingden.

And a week later, on Sunday 26th July, it’s Bacup v Rawtenstall and Haslingden v Ramsbottom.

The second elevens will be playing the reverse fixtures. A third eleven competition has also been arranged and will take place on the next three Saturdays.

Ramsbottom CC are unable to participate in that, but Stacksteads CC are expected to take their place.

In addition, the four Valley clubs have resurrected the Rossendale Free Press Cup which will be played at Ramsbottom on Bank Holiday Monday 31st August.

The return to action follows a Downing Street press conference in which Johnson admitted he had ‘invoked the third umpire’ and now accepted that the sport could now return, subject to a series of guidelines.

There has been increasing frustration over the government’s stance on the sport, with the England and Wales Cricket Board repeatedly insisting that sport is safe to play.

The governing body’s pleas appeared to fall on deaf ears when the Prime Minster, speaking in a Friday interview with LBC Radio, hinted the sport was not safe to return and insisted: “It’s the teas, it’s the changing rooms.”

However, hours later he changed his tune, admitting: “Having been stumped this morning on the science, I have sought scientific advice and medical opinion and the third umpire has been invoked.

“We do want to work as fast as possible to get cricket back and will be publishing guidelines in the next few days so that cricket can to resume in time for next weekend. Cricket can resume next weekend.”

Johnson had previously described the cricket ball as a “vector of disease” but said the dangers were more widespread.

The ECB welcomed the development, with chief executive Tom Harrison saying: “It will come as great news to our nation of recreational cricketers that the UK government has given the green light for the game to return from next weekend.

“We have maintained a constant dialogue with UK government and they’ve been supportive of our desire to see recreational cricket return when it is safe.

“They now agree that with appropriate measures in place to mitigate the risk, it is safe.”