Grassroots cricketers waiting to see what devil is in the detail as their sport prepares to return

Recreational cricket is set to return next weekend - but in what form will it be allowed to resume?

Boris Johnson last Friday announced that the recreational game can return from next Saturday, July 11.

But it was not revealed how the actual matches would be played - either the usual 11-a-side or with fewer players per team.

Hampshire Cricket Board cricket development manager Simon Jones said: ‘We are waiting to find out the Ts and Cs (terms and conditions) from government.

‘The ECB have said they expect to find out early this week.

‘It could be that we’re allowed to play 11-a-side cricket, or there could be some stopping point in between, we don’t know.

‘A lot of contingency plans have gone from the ECB to government - including how to play eight-a-side games - and it’s up to the DCMS to say which one will happen.

‘At the moment the limit on any group is six, but the ECB are looking for an exemption to that and have outlined the mitigation they will take regarding the ball etc.

‘In Western Australia they started playing again on June 22. The limit there was 20, so they began by playing 10-a-side games.’

As reported in The News on Saturday, the Hampshire Cricket Board are asking clubs to register for ‘micro bubble’ groups where a league competition can start on July 25. Clubs have until 9am on Tuesday to register their interest.

Jones said the decision to allow cricket to restart a fortnight before that date won’t affect the HCB planning.

‘When we surveyed all our clubs over a month ago, the general consensus was that it would take them a fortnight to get ready to play,’ he said.

‘It could be that clubs play an intra-club game on the first weekend and try to arrange a friendly for the second one.’

Jones was delighted to see that cricket clubs can open their bars - in the same way pubs have been allowed to reopen - when games resume.

‘They are a really good source of income for a club,’ he said. ‘The fact there will be an opportunity for some socially distanced socialising after a game is as important, if not more important, for club cricketers.’