Club game could return from July 5, but ECB seeking clarity on ‘social bubble’ guidelines

Club cricket could begin in England and Wales in the first week of July, with matches between teams of eight players.

According to Simon Prodger, the managing director of the National Cricket Conference, clubs are being asked whether they can be ready to play from July 5.

For that to happen, guidelines over social “bubbles” would need to be eased from the current limit of six. “I think that we’re going to go through a period of adaptive play where they won’t go to 11-a-side straight away,” Prodger said.

“The size of social bubbles is something the England and Wales Cricket Board is discussing with government. If movements are made from them, then we can definitely get cricket back on.

“We don’t know whether the opening up of cricket means we can just play internal matches, whether we can play opposition teams, at what level we can play them, how many a side can we play at?

“We’re in a position where the ECB is having to react to government. The ECB can’t simply pass an edict and pass it down without the Government first approving it.”

Prodger said that, while recreational cricket appeared to lend itself better to social distancing than football and rugby, there remained significant issues.

“Cricket does have an element of distancing in it but, equally, it has an awful lot of issues of common touch, common sharing for the balls, stumps and bails,” he said.

Players seem unlikely to be able to use changing rooms if play does resume. It also seems certain that some leagues will have to relax rules about two neutral umpires.

Prodger added that the longer it took for club cricket to resume, the greater the damage to the sport, with fears that some players will not return to the game.

If matches can resume, clubs are hopeful they will be able to open their bars. Sam Burge, chairman of East Molesey Cricket Club, said: “The bar is often the financial lifeline of clubs.”