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Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club acknowledges the postponement of cricket at all levels until 28 May and will advise members and supporters of next steps in due course.
Nottinghamshire were due to be in home Specsavers County Championship action against Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Sussex during the affected period.
The pre-season friendly against Lancashire, which had been scheduled to commence on 30 March at Trent Bridge, has been cancelled.
Away fixtures against Cambridge MCCU, Durham, Middlesex and Worcestershire have also been postponed as a result of the announcement, alongside all Academy, age-group, recreational and community cricket activities.
“I feel particularly sorry for our members and supporters as well as our players and coaches, who have all been eagerly looking forward to the new season for some time,” said Director of Cricket Mick Newell.
“It’s also a real shame that the season won’t be able to start promptly for the many club and recreational cricketers for whom cricket is an important part of their lives, and for those that attend the many sessions we deliver in the community.
“However, we are very aware that the health and safety of everybody is paramount and that taking precautions against coronavirus is everyone’s number one priority at this time.
“We will continue to fully support whatever measures are put in place and will make every effort to be a safe and supportive employer to all of our cricket and non-cricket staff.
“We are in regular contact with the ECB and will spend the next few days working through the ramifications for us as a club, as a business and for the game of cricket in Nottinghamshire.
“We will provide further information to our members and supporters as soon as we can.
“We are thankful for everybody’s patience and understanding in these very difficult circumstances.”
How Surrey said the same...
THE ECB BOARD HAS TODAY AGREED THAT NO PROFESSIONAL CRICKET WILL BE PLAYED IN ENGLAND AND WALES UNTIL AT LEAST MAY 28 DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
The Board approved the recommendation to delay the start of the season following discussions with the First Class Counties, the MCC and the PCA.
It was agreed that, given the current information available, a seven-week delay to the start of the season is the most appropriate approach.
The ECB has begun modelling a range of options to start the season in June, July or August –with an immediate focus on options for cricket in June, including the three-Test series against West Indies, the Vitality Blast and England Women’s schedule against India.
Close liaison with the Government will continue, with discussions on the potential of starting the season behind closed doors and giving sports fans the opportunity to live broadcast action.
The potential for reduced versions of competitions, should the season become further truncated, will also be discussed.
The Board will meet as needed to review the position and make further decisions as the UK situation unfolds.
ECB Chief Executive Officer, Tom Harrison, said: “During this period of deep uncertainty it is the ECB’s first priority to protect the wellbeing of everyone within the cricket family, from players, to fans and colleagues across the game.
“The decision to delay the start of the season has been essential, given the circumstances the nation faces. I am reassured by the collaborative effort from across the game that together, we will make the very best of whatever length of season we are able to safely schedule in the coming months.
“With the information available to us at the moment a delay to the start of the professional cricket season until May 28 was unavoidable. This also allows us time to keep pace with a fast-moving situation and continue to plan for how a revised season might look. Critically, we can also remain as flexible and adaptable as possible, within the obvious restrictions we face.
“Securing the future of the game will be a primary focus as we plot a revised schedule with an emphasis on the most financially important forms of the game for the counties across international and domestic cricket.’’
It would be preferable to cancel the whole of the 2020 Season - this Virus knows no anti-dote and particularly elderly and High Risk spectators can not afford to be exposed to it.
ReplyDeleteFor the survival of the 18 counties and the mental wellbeing of many supporters, a season of sorts must take place with some meaningful cricket (Not meaningless Hundred). Be it regional groups followed by knock-out cricket - T20 double headers, matches at Welbeck, whatever it takes.
DeleteI think not - even when China seems to be getting over it people returning have caused a further upsurge. With a vaccination 1-2 years away I fear that the overall dire situation will have to remains for a long time yet. Is the Government over-reacting? - only time will tell.
DeleteSeems to me that's the way it's going PJ,I read in the newspapers today that government scientists think the social distancing might have to be in place for at least half a year which puts us into late September, If that's the case then quite obviously no cricket is likely to be played at all...
ReplyDeleteThe club meanwhile if that's the case will need to sort out what to do for members who have already paid for the season, An unenviable task given that the cash is already in the system.
They will need to refund or perhaps ask the members if the money can be held over and used for 2021,Neither prospect is that palatable given the finances of Notts and other professional clubs.
You would hope that by next year we will have got the top side of the Coronavirus and cricket will be able to resume,You do feel However that things might never return to how they once were.
A sobering thought indeed....
Coronavirus will mutate and return annually much like the common cold, some strains will just be more deadly than others. It's the new future, humanity will adjust - it has to. Do we want cricket in that future or not?
DeleteNow that we do not know 'DK' - so perhaps best not to indulge in possible Fake Truth at this stage.
DeleteOne of the kinds of viruses that collectively are known as colds is a member of the Coronavirus family. There's no cure for colds as those viruses mutate and there are so many of them in circulation in the general population. Every adult human has 2-4 colds every year, children double that number. What makes you think this new virus will be eradicated? Google it!
DeleteAnd what makes you think that it won't?
DeleteI don't know what the Doctor knows but it's true that Coronaviruses include one of the common colds which we haven't found a cure for yet in spite of countless PhDs on attempts to do just that. The science is complex and viruses like this, as DK says, are sneaky and mutate. I think a lot of money worldwide will be being thrown at finding a cure. Let's just hope it results in a cricket ball being thrown and bowled in the nearer future.
DeleteSo agree with you Nottsviewer. This much bigger than cricket of course, but in answer to a question above : yes if at all possible. Just speaking for me, but battle with club over Hundred is over. If that competition goes ahead this year, I will most likely to go to a match or two. Of course noone can really buy a ticket for any event in any field at the moment. On a practical point, again imo, if we want the 18 counties to all survive, we need the Hundred. I am aware this is a u turn, but the World has changed so much even in the last 2 weeks. Horrible times. For cricket to survive at all we who love it have to face reality, not easy I fully understand that
ReplyDeleteNot sure what others on this site think. But surely I cannot be alone in thinking that a projected start date of May 28th for the season is looking rather optimistic
ReplyDeleteHopefully I'm wrong but nothing I read makes me think we will be reclining on the seats at Trent Bridge anytime soon.Most reports I've seen seem to indicate social distancing will be in place for a large majority of the year
Even if with a fair wind behind us ,cricket resumes pretty much any cricket played will be of the shorter variety...
I love my cricket but a diet of nonstop 20 over (in some cases less than 20) slogathons might be difficult for me to digest, I may wander along to a few Notts games , As for the Trent Rockets...Let's just say I hope they are on TV...
Yes, I see where you're coming from Zanga. The longer it's delayed though the more desperate we will get to watching any sort of game as next April is a long long time away, so I suspect more will suffer the Trent Rockets than had originally planned to do so, probably myself included.
DeleteThere's no chance of any cricket this Season. This remains a virus with no known cure and the danger of re-introduction when it seems to have been overcome. Unless and until a vaccine is found then it will remain a high level threat for even years to come.
ReplyDeleteAs per the likes of Somerset CCC we need an updated Statement from our CEO or even 'brave' Chairman Richard (if Ms. Six allows him to).
ReplyDeleteHow many staff (including players) have been dismissed? How many staff (including players) have been furloughed? How many full-time staff remain working?
What are the mediom to long term adverse effects on the Club likely to be?
Will Membership Fees be refunded either in whole or in part?
I am sure members have other questions.