Sussex set for red-ball and whiteball action
Cricket’s first-class counties have agreed to play both red-ball and white-ball cricket during this summer’s shortened men’s domestic season.
A majority vote was reached at a meeting of the FCC chairs following approval by the ECB board last month for the new season to commence on August 1.
The agreement by the FCCs will be passed on for ECB Board approval in the coming days after which the details of the new fixture schedule will be drawn up and then announced.
It’s likely to feature a shortened county championship programme and a Vitality Blast T20 contest.
The safety and wellbeing of all players, staff and officials remains the priority of the ECB and all FCCs will undergo further medical risk assessments and venue compliance approval as planning progresses to ensure safe environments for the start of the men’s domestic season.
Ticket holders for men’s domestic matches and FCC members are set to be contacted by venues with the options available to them after a new fixture schedule is announced.
Club cricket set to return this weekend, as reported on the back page.
Meanwhile one Sussex club stalwart who is also a paramedic has been receiving recognition for his work during the Covid-19 pandemic during the England-West Indies which started yesterday at the Ageas Bowl.
Jofra Archer is wearing the name of Joe Wheatley on his training shirt during the first Test as England’s players honour and celebrate heroes within the cricket family during the #RaiseTheBat series.
As a paramedic, Wheatley, who is also groundsman at Barcombe Cricket Club in East Sussex, is often a patient’s first contact with medical staff during an emergency – but he is as at home on a heavy roller as he is in an ambulance.