We are pleased to announce the start of cricket matches at Ealing Cricket Club as from Saturday 11 July 2020. This continues the expansion of our cricket and other activities that has been going on since we opened our grounds for exercise and practice on 20 May 2020.

As noted in our announcement last week, we have had near record numbers of members using the Club’s facilities in recent weeks and all this is a COVID-19 compliant environment. And the demand for players, both Senior and Junior, to play matches is very strong as is interest in participation in our holiday course activities, which commence on 13 July 2020.

Our bar facilities at Corfton Road opened on 4 July 2020 on a limited basis and this has been a success so far, both in terms of the level of business we have seen but also, and very importantly, the safety of our members and their guests. Further expansion of the bar opening hours will be contemplated when we feel it is safe to do so.

Start of Cricket matches

As from Saturday 11 July 2020, we will be playing matches. This weekend we have matches on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at all three of our grounds. And next week our Junior matches will commence.

A huge amount of activity is going on to make this happen. The key elements of this are:

1. Clear guidance is being issued to our Senior Team Captains, Junior Age Group Managers and opposition Clubs regarding:

• What needs to happen prior to a match
• How the match will need to be played
• What happens after the match

2. A COVID-19 plan has been prepared for each of our grounds, Corfton Road, Popesfield and Brentfield setting out the procedures we have in place to seek to ensure compliance with the guidelines provided to us. As part of this, Risk Assessments have been completed to identify areas of risk and the mitigation factors that will be deployed.

3. Agreeing fixtures:

• Ealing CC 1st XI, 2nd XI and 3rd XI and Ealing Hanwellians will play Leagues matches organised by the Middlesex County Cricket League
• Ealing CC 4th XI and 5th XI will play friendly matches against other teams who normally play in the Middlesex County Cricket League and Ealing Hanwellians 2nd XI will do likewise against teams who normally play in the Middlesex Championship
• If we have sufficient players and we have grounds to play matches on, we will organise additional friendly fixtures
• We have entered teams in the Middlesex Women’s Cricket League, Middlesex Development League (Men’s U21), Middlesex U19 Men’s League and the Middlesex Youth Cup (for U15 – U17 Boys)
• We have agreed a completely new schedule of Middlesex Junior Cricket Association League fixtures for Boys and Girls in Age groups U10 and above
• We are arranging other friendly fixtures with Clubs, particularly for children in the U8 and U9 Age groups
• And we plan to publish details of our internal Inter Franchise League, which is specifically targeted at providing additional playing opportunities for children in the U8 to U11 Age groups, shortly

Fixtures will be available on the Club’s website as soon as possible. In the meantime, please contact the Club to find out information that you need about which matches are being played when.

The headline is that cricket matches will be played under normal playing conditions with a few variations. These include:

• Hygiene breaks every 6 overs for the ball and players’ hands to be sanitised
• Batters running on distinct ‘socially distanced’ running lines
• Bowlers not to apply any sweat or saliva to the ball
• Players ‘socially distanced’ at all times
• Cricket ball returned to the bowler as directly as possible;
• No use of changing rooms
• No food and drink provided to the players, who must bring their own
• There are limitations on travel to matches with players asked to avoid public transport and sharing lifts
• For Junior matches, there may be limitations on the contact children can have during matches with parents, who are attending as spectators
• Spectators should not touch the ball if it crosses the boundary

Start of Holiday Courses

The holiday courses that we have run for many years will resume on Monday 13 July 2020 and will run each week until the beginning of September. In addition, we are offering Masterclasses and additional coaching sessions on Sunday mornings.

More information can be found and bookings made at www.premiercricketcoaching.co.uk.

Availability of Nets

The start of cricket matches and the holiday courses will mean that members’ access to our practice net facilities will have to be curtailed. Members have enjoyed a bonanza for the last few weeks, but unfortunately the Club now needs to use the facilities for its own activities.

In summary, the availability of the Corfton Road nets is as follows:

• We are still restricted to only 3 nets, albeit we hope this will change soon
• Fridays – 3 lanes available from 9.00 a.m. to 4.45 p.m.
• Saturdays and Sundays – 2 lanes available from 12 noon to 7.45 p.m.
• Mondays to Thursdays – No availability

The nets at Popesfield will continue not to be available for members’ bookings.

When we are able to use all of the net facilities, we will update the timing of when members may book nets.

Up until now, all the net bookings have been co-ordinated by James Grigg, but this is likely to change early next week with Louise Chippendale taking over this responsibility.

Membership fees/Match Fees

All players playing in matches of any type must be members of the Club.

For Senior matches, match fees are also payable by those playing in the match but these are being reduced while cricket teas are not being provided.

Coming to our Grounds

• Please do not come to any of the Club’s grounds for any reason if you are ill or have COVID-19 symptoms, however mild
• Your attendance at any of the Club’s grounds confirms that no one in your household, nor anyone who you have been in contact with, has experienced any COVID-19 symptoms in the last 14 days
• Please advise us if you develop COVID-19 symptoms following your visit to any of the Club’s grounds
• Please avoid using public transport when coming to the Club and follow the latest Government travel advice
• Please wear face coverings where social distancing of less than 2 metres is not possible
• The Club is not responsible for your children at any of our grounds when they are not involved in cricket activities and we would be grateful if you ensure that they follow the guidelines we have published