Government admit it will be ‘difficult’ to play any grassroots sport this summer

But Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said professional sport may be able to return ‘because of the scale of testing’ that could be introduced.

The government has plans for a series of meetings - starting this week - to help elite sport resume following the Covid-19 crisis.

The move has been described as a ‘quickening of the pace’ and intended to help sport resume ‘within weeks’ if progress was made.

However, a return to action still depends on the government's five tests being met.

They are: 1) Ensuring the NSH can cope, 2) A ‘sustained and daily’ fall in the death rate, 3) Rate of infection decreasing to 'manageable levels', 4) Ensuring supply of tests and PPE can meet future demand, 5) Being confident any adjustments would not risk a second peak.

When asked if there was any chance of smaller sporting clubs being able to play sport outside this summer - such as local cricket leagues - Raab said: ‘Very difficult because of the level and scale of interaction.

‘I think the professional sport may be different because of the scale of testing that they would be able to introduce.

‘We do want to look when it is safe and responsible at ways to allow more outdoors activities to take place, but again we have to have the evidence that it is a sure-footed step that does not allow coronavirus to get a grip back on the country.’

The Hampshire Cricket League have previously said competitive cricket will still take place in 2020 if the fixture list can be started before the end of June.

But if the season does not start until after that date, it will only be on a ‘friendly’ basis with no promotion and relegation.

The Southern Cricket League have said if no games can take place before June 4 there will be no promotions and relegations.

Following Raab’s comments yesterday, the likelihood now is they won’t be playing any games in 2020 - competitive or otherwise.