Pursuit of an overseas signing gets green light
AFTER an autumn and winter characterised by uncertainty, provisional planning and crossed fingers, Southport and Birkdale’s cricketers are set to begin their season with an intra-club friendly on April 3.
There are even hopes that an overseas signing will have arrived by the time Chris Cunningham’s team take the field for their opening Liverpool Competition match at Wallasey on April 24.
In common with thousands of other officials across the country S&B’s hierarchy did not receive final approval for the resumption of outdoor practice and matches until last week but by then plans were also well-advanced to strengthen the first team in advance of what is likely to be a tough season in the ECB Premier League.
“We’ve wanted to sign a highclass overseas cricketer for some time but it’s only in the last couple of weeks that we’ve received the permission we needed to go ahead with such an arrangement,” said chairman Andrew Carney.
“We are now in the final stages of completing the necessary forms that would allow the player we have identified to come over to the UK but we won’t be announcing the signing until everything is confirmed.”
That news is likely to increase the pleasure S&B’s supporters feel as they look forward to a full season of competitive cricket but they, along with the players, will need to observe social distancing in order to ensure games can proceed as safely as possible.
Until May 17 no indoor catering will be available and players will have to arrive changed for matches and will not be permitted to use the dressing rooms.
But Carney stressed that these strictures were the result of a detailed consultative process at both local and national level and any limitations might be seen as a modest price for the return of a full season’s sport.
“We’ve played our full part in the workings of the Restart Group and we’ve had good communications with the Love Lane Liverpool Competition and the ECB throughout the early months of the year,” he said.
“We were thrilled to receive the detailed guidance that outdoor sport will be allowed from March 29 along with the various safety guidelines that we would expect to be in place for much of the season.
“There’s a big sense of relief that we can now look forward not only to the start of net practice in the week beginning March 29 but also to the pre-season matches in early April.
“As long as we are careful with things like distancing and the use of sanitizer, there are no restrictions on numbers and spectators will be welcome to watch the games as long as they also keep to the rules.”