Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

It will be interesting to see how players approach the games when there's no real pressure on the results. No promotion or relegation and the T20 will be unlike any previous competition.

westoelad wrote:

Alviro Patterson wrote:
Assuming First Class Cricket will be played, there won't be relegation so the rookie pros will have a free pass to establish themselves.

There's certainly going to be a lot of squad rotation. According to the Telegraph T20 is commencing August 28th. That allows 27 days to fit in 5 4day games.

At a guess, I reckon the 1st 4 rounds of County Championship will be played in block format. 1st 2 rounds of the Blast played on 28th and 30th August, Round 5 of the County Championship commencing on Bank Holiday Monday.

I've heard a rumbling that the Blast will revert to the Friends Provident format (3 groups of 6, 10 games, top 2 plus 2 best 3rd place teams through to the Quarter-Finals). Then the 8 remaining Blast games played in a block. County Championship Final to overlap with the Blast Quater-Finals.

Boris completes his hat trick,
of U turns
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/53276717

Excellent use of DRS in overturning the decision of Recreational Cricket

Commonsense finally prevails. Not only cricket is a social distancing sport in nature, but it is a self governing game where stepping over the line is unacceptable.

Looking forward to bowling my gentle in-swingers and getting bowled out for a duck

Alviro Patterson wrote:Excellent use of DRS in overturning the decision of Recreational Cricket

Commonsense finally prevails. Not only cricket is a social distancing sport in nature, but it is a self governing game where stepping over the line is unacceptable.

Looking forward to bowling my gentle in-swingers and getting bowled out for a duck

I'm sure you will have success!

Alviro Patterson wrote:Excellent use of DRS in overturning the decision of Recreational Cricket

Commonsense finally prevails. Not only cricket is a social distancing sport in nature, but it is a self governing game where stepping over the line is unacceptable.

Looking forward to bowling my gentle in-swingers and getting bowled out for a duck

No saliva on the ball mind !
Looks like Yorkies will have Johny the sulk for rest of season-can't even make the England reserve squad.

Story in The Times saying that no spectators allowed into games until October! Although it's a little confusing because it also mentions trial games of cricket and WC snooker over the next two weeks.
I wonder though if that loophole supposedly allowing cricket grounds to reclassify as pubs, so any spectators are regarded as pub patrons, will come into play.
October seems a very late date. There was speculation a few days ago that the start of the next Premier League, in September, would be played in front of crowds.

captaincolly wrote:Story in The Times saying that no spectators allowed into games until October! Although it's a little confusing because it also mentions trial games of cricket and WC snooker over the next two weeks.
I wonder though if that loophole supposedly allowing cricket grounds to reclassify as pubs, so any spectators are regarded as pub patrons, will come into play.
October seems a very late date. There was speculation a few days ago that the start of the next Premier League, in September, would be played in front of crowds.

A statement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DfDCMS) said: “The government has announced that a small number of sporting events will be used to pilot the safe return of spectators through late July and early August — with a view to reopen competition venues for sports fans, with social distancing measures in place, from October 2020.

“The events have been carefully selected to represent a range of sports and indoor and outdoor spectator environments. There are also likely to be further pilot events for other sports, in order to build up to and prepare for the full, socially distanced return of sporting events from October 1, 2020.”
It's very encouraging. Surrey v Middlesex pre-season friendly in late July will be pilot then membership only limited entry to Bob Willis trophy games.
And wor chairman is to become Lord ITB, of Richmond presumably.

Got to take it all with a pinch of salt I guess. Ronnie o Sullivan for instance was talking about pulling out the snooker tournament used as a test event due to feeling uncomfortable with spectators there, and all this is best case scenario. R number rises and the last phases to bring back big gatherings is the first thing that will be put in the back burner, so I very much doubt we will get to October without cases starting to bounce up

captaincolly wrote:Story in The Times saying that no spectators allowed into games until October! Although it's a little confusing because it also mentions trial games of cricket and WC snookerstands wit over the next two weeks.
I wonder though if that loophole supposedly allowing cricket grounds to reclassify as pubs, so any spectators are regarded as pub patrons, will come into play.
October seems a very late date. There was speculation a few days ago that the start of the next Premier League, in September, would be played in front of crowds.

Technically speaking many stands have a bar built in and can be classed as pub property, they just need to be open. Contact and trace won't be an issue as ticket holders will contain customer details if bought from the ticket office.

sussexpob wrote:Got to take it all with a pinch of salt I guess. Ronnie o Sullivan for instance was talking about pulling out the snooker tournament used as a test event due to feeling uncomfortable with spectators there, and all this is best case scenario. R number rises and the last phases to bring back big gatherings is the first thing that will be put in the back burner, so I very much doubt we will get to October without cases starting to bounce up

The Crucible Theatre is tiny when operating as a two table setup. If spectators were sitting on the front row, you could literally reach out and touch a players cue as they play their shot. Even the cameramen are operating precariously close to the players.

Alviro Patterson wrote:

captaincolly wrote:Story in The Times saying that no spectators allowed into games until October! Although it's a little confusing because it also mentions trial games of cricket and WC snookerstands wit over the next two weeks.
I wonder though if that loophole supposedly allowing cricket grounds to reclassify as pubs, so any spectators are regarded as pub patrons, will come into play.
October seems a very late date. There was speculation a few days ago that the start of the next Premier League, in September, would be played in front of crowds.

Technically speaking many stands have a bar built in and can be classed as pub property, they just need to be open. Contact and trace won't be an issue as ticket holders will contain customer details if bought from the ticket office.

Yes. I think it is possible ( going by what I read) that the grounds could even be temporary reclassified as pubs. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Cricket must be the easiest game to use as a pilot for monitoring crowds. It was always the intention that attendance was limited to members only making trace straightforward,spectators come and go throughout the day this avoiding congregation at beginning and end of play, social distancing is easy to conform to and to monitor. No problem, fixtures have now been given to counties and published openly at beginning of next week.

westoelad wrote:Cricket must be the easiest game to use as a pilot for monitoring crowds. It was always the intention that attendance was limited to members only making trace straightforward,spectators come and go throughout the day this avoiding congregation at beginning and end of play, social distancing is easy to conform to and to monitor. No problem, fixtures have now been given to counties and published openly at beginning of next week.

I agree. It should be straightforward to play them safely. Trouble might be that Johnson and co seem determined to proceed with ultra caution and their scientific advisers favour an even more cautious approach! I

it sounds off topic, but it isn't really. Seemingly the North East of England has had no covid related deaths for 11 days and in Co Durham there were only 15 new confirmed cases last week. It shouldn't be beyond the wit of anyone to give the Riverside the thumbs up for members to attend home red ball matches.