Cricket with Crowds in August?

County cricket aims to be first sport with spectators.
Tim Wigmore.

Lomdon Daily Telegraph.

Sunday, 28 June 2020.

PTG 3174-15714.

County cricket hopes to be the first sport to allow spectators back in for live matches, arguing that it is “uniquely well placed” to be a test case. Representatives have begun making the case to the Government, saying the nature of the game and the open-air grounds would mitigate risks.

Counties hope some crowds can be allowed from near to the start of the season, which is now planned for Aug 1. It is hoped that lessons from reopening grounds could be applied to other sports.

“It’s a fantastic laboratory and test case to work out if there are any operational difficulties with people turning up”, said Tim Bostock, the chief executive of Durham. “You’re not going to start bringing crowds back to Twickenham or Anfield, are you? But you could start with county grounds in the open air. County cricket pretty much ticks every box – it has the lowest risk possible for crowds returning to sport. We’re going to have to start somewhere, with crowds watching sport. So why not county cricket? That would be my plea for the Government”.

There is growing confidence that robust proposals can be put in place as government restrictions ease. Initially, crowds could be as little as 500-1,000, with numbers then increased if it is shown to be safe.

If we were to begin the cricket season with first-class cricket in early August, then the crowds that we normally expect would be commensurate with social distancing, particularly if we restricted it to club members only”, said Richard Gould, the chief executive of Surrey. “If we start with first-class cricket we are, as a sport, uniquely well placed to gradually increase spectator numbers through the summer”.

Bostock said that the county game could be flexible in exploring how to introduce crowds. “We can make the numbers fit whatever they need to fit – just to start to get some people watching cricket”, he said. “The fact that we can make it start off with members only – it’s a very controlled environment, and we know exactly who’s coming. The numbers are manageable”.

The design of cricket grounds is considered an important advantage for the sport. Unlike football stadiums – which have significant amounts of covered seating, protecting fans from the elements in winter – cricket grounds are predominantly uncovered. The virus is known to transmit about 20 times more effectively inside rather than outside, so the more open-air environments may be considered a safer place to bring back fans.

“We’re outdoors – and we know the virus doesn’t like that”, Bostock said. “We’ve got huge amounts of space, we’ve got extremely compliant, sensible members”.

The arrival of county spectators is generally more staggered than for other sports, potentially making the logistics of allowing fans in while ensuring social distancing easier to manage. If modest crowds for first-class matches prove successful, it is hoped that bigger crowds can be permitted for the Twenty20 Blast, which is planned to begin on Aug 28.

Allowing some crowds would also bring wider benefits to county members, Bostock said. “Our average county member, that tends to be a little older, has probably been stuck inside more than most over the past three or four months. There’s a health and well-being angle to get them outside and in some sort of social environments again – I don’t think that should be understated”.

Durham Cricket can confirm a group of six bowlers will return to training on Wednesday 24 June, as they begin preparation for a return to action.

The return of a smaller group is the beginning of a phased return for the Durham squad as the prospect of county cricket moves ever closer.

The players involved in the initial return have now been taken off furlough, in order to use this period to gain overs under their belt ahead of the full squad returning in due course.

Discussions are still on going as to what domestic cricket will be played, assuming there are no further developments with Coronavirus, with the ECB looking at the potential of a regionalised red ball competition – along with a Vitality Blast T20 tournament being played towards the end of the summer.

Marcus North, Director of Cricket said: “It is great news that we can now begin our phased return to training.

“It has been a frustrating time for everyone, not being able to play cricket so far this summer – but we are now hopeful we can have two full months of cricket and we are all excited at the opportunities it brings.

“Our players have been maintaining their fitness levels up as much as possible over this period ahead of an eventual restart”.

Counties not to face sanctions if they fall under salary collar

Matt Roller.

Cricinfo. 

Wednesday, 24 June 2020.

PTG 3170-15688

Counties will face no sanctions if they fall under the salary collar - the minimum sum they are permitted to spend on player wages - in 2020, as the English game looks to protect jobs during the Covid-19 crisis. 16 out of 18 counties have used the government's job-retention scheme to furlough their playing staff, and the majority of overseas signings for this season have had their contracts cancelled or deferred.

According to the terms of the County Partnership Agreement (CPA) signed between the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA), the England and Wales Cricket Board (EWCB) and the first-class counties last year, counties should spend between £UK1.5-£2.5 million ($A2.7-4.5m) on player wages annually. Sanctions might have included reduced EWCB incomes or points deductions, but none will be imposed if counties fall under the collar this year.

"We've relaxed the salary collar that was in [place] for the counties this year”, said Daryl Mitchell the PCA chairman. "With the cuts that have gone on and the situation with overseas players, there would probably be teams that would fall under the collar, but there will be no punishment for that which enables counties to hopefully be able to keep players on their books with the savings they've made so far".

"Nobody would have foreseen what has happened in any industry, let alone cricket. The CPA was put in place 12 months ago or so. With Covid, county finances and ECB finances are going to look completely different. I think 14 out of 18 counties, per my understanding, are very keen to play red-ball cricket, and then the other four would prefer to play one-day cricket"

The CPA also introduced a new minimum wage of £UK27,500 ($A49,295) for full-time professionals and new rookie contracts for young players aged 18-21 (PTG 2479-12541, 14 June 2028). But, due to the impact of the pandemic, counties will be able to roll rookie contracts over to next year even if players are 22 by the time the season starts, and the PCA has discussed relaxing the minimum wage internally. "No county has actually mentioned that [the minimum wage] to us yet”," Mitchell said.

As things stand, the PCA's particular concern is about the 134 players whose contracts are up at the end of the season. Northamptonshire have already confirmed that they will not offer Rob Newton, the opening batsman, a new deal, and county directors of cricket have admitted that it will be harder than usual to keep players on the staff. Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's director of cricket, has admitted that some contract decisions "will be made on financial reasons and not cricketing ones”.

The PCA's retirement fund has already been bolstered by the prize money potsfrom the County Championship and the One-Day Cup this year, while it is hoped that a change in dates in standard contracts - which now runs until November - will ensure those leaving the game have a smoother transition. There has been a slight increase in the number of players using the PCA's mental health support network during lockdown - a slight drop-off at the start followed by a spike up - and players will be asked to opt into any cricket that is possible this year.

Mitchell admitted that it would be difficult to avoid a situation whereby players in the final year of the contracts feel under pressure to opt in. "They obviously want to put themselves in the shop window to earn a new contract or get a move elsewhere, so they are difficult decisions," he said. "But as long as the player has that choice and has the support and backing of the PCA and their club, it should make it a smoother process”.

He also said he was "confident" some form of county cricket would be possible this year, with Worcestershire and Surrey resuming training on Monday after Lancashire did so last week. A final decision on dates and formats is expected to be taken on July 6 or 7. "I think 14 out of 18 counties, per my understanding, are very keen to play red-ball cricket, and then the other four would prefer to play one-day cricket”, Mitchell said. The main dividing line at present is the increased cost of four-day cricket, and the uncertainty surrounding the availability of hotels (PTG 3166-15661, 20 June 2020).

County cricketers will continue to take pay cuts of up to 20% in June and July, the Professional Cricketers' Association has confirmed.

Salaries have been reduced since April and some players have been furloughed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The domestic season has been postponed until at least 1 August.

Options for playing first-class and limited-overs competitions later in the summer will be presented to the England and Wales Cricket Board in June.

But at least 10 rounds of the County Championship campaign, which was scheduled to start on 12 April, will be lost.

The deal would see players on multi-year contracts accept a pay cut of no more than 20%, with 12% the limit for single-year contracts unless agreed otherwise.

A total of 134 county players are out of contract at the end of the year.

Worcestershire all-rounder and PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell said: "This has not been an easy decision and causes a great deal of disruption to many of our members. However, the PCA Players' Committee ultimately agreed this is the right thing to do."

Mitchell continued: "Working collaboratively through this crisis has always been one of our top priorities and I appreciate the collective spirit of these discussions with the first-class counties, particularly at this most challenging of times.

"The understanding and support I have had from the PCA Players' Committee and senior players around the counties has continued to be vital.

"As a group we have been in constant communication to ensure we are supporting the interests of all professional players in England and Wales while being alert to the need for players to play their part." BBCSport

Foxes Furlough Head Coach

The news emerged at the club's annual general meeting, held by video link on Thursday evening, shortly after the ECB announced there would be no domestic cricket played before the start of August

Head coach Paul Nixon and his coaching staff have joined Leicestershire's players in being furloughed, the county club has confirmed.

The news emerged at the club's annual general meeting, held by video link on Thursday evening, shortly after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced there would be no domestic cricket played before the start of August. There had been hope the domestic game might get underway at the start of July.

The ECB said plans under consideration for an August start included both red-ball and white-ball matches at all first-class grounds, including the Fischer County Ground, with the possibility that counties could be grouped into regions.

Playing behind closed doors, or with a limited number of supporters adhering to social distancing guidance, with non-televised games live streamed for members and supporters, are also on the agenda.

County Championship matches have been successfully broadcast live in this way for several years, with commentary provided by BBC local radio.

Neighbouring county Northamptonshire recently said it was examining what would be required to stage Twenty20 matches with a socially distanced reduced capacity crowd.

The Steelbacks hope they may be able to meet regulations by reducing the capacity of their Wantage Road ground from 6,000 to 1,500.

The Foxes' Grace Road stadium has a similar capacity. The highest attendance last season was 4,704, for the visit of Nottinghamshire.

Leicestershire members were told the club was facing the most challenging period in its history, but would be ready to restart as soon as the sport was given the go-ahead by government.

Financial director Steve Kind said the removal of around £500,000 from the cost base in the previous two years, along with the restructuring of historic debt, meant the club had been financially stabilised, and he was “quietly optimistic” it would get through.

Incoming chief executive officer Sean Jarvis set out a new set of 11 guiding principles under which the club intended to move forward.

“To some extent we have lost our identity in recent years and it's vital we recreate that,” he said.

The club will hold a virtual 'fans' forum' on June 8 which it expects Nixon and several players will voluntarily attend and take questions.

Courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network.

BBCSport

Northants are looking to host T20 Blast matches in front of reduced crowds of around 1,500 fans this summer.

The coronavirus outbreak has left domestic cricket in a state of flux, with the inaugural season of The Hundred already postponed.

But the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wants to hold first-class and limited-overs competitions this summer.

Northants chairman Gavin Warren told BBC Radio Northampton the plans had been "driven by the science".

He said: "We are working on plans for maybe getting a crowd, subject to the social distancing plans the government's put in,

"If the experts say it's safe to play behind closed doors and also say it's actually feasible if you do this arrangement within your ground - I think you can get 1,500 people in."

Northants' Wantage Road ground holds a maximum of 6,500.

The ECB is in talks with the 18 first-class counties about how they can return to training, but any domestic cricket will only take place if it is safe and financially viable.

This season's T20 Blast was due to start next week, but no cricket will be played in England until at least 1 July.

"We want to give our fans the opportunity to come and watch some live sport because everyone is missing it," Warren added.

"If we can go that one step further and adhere to public safety I think it would be good and I'd be quite excited by it. We have to look at what the bio-secure environment looks like, then we can look at a seating plan.

"You'd hope common sense prevailed. We think we can do toilets and catering on a one-way system. It's very, very early days. It might come to nothing but why not try to aspire to do something?"

Warren said the chances of playing in front of supporters was "50/50" and it would have financial implications, but they are still keen to make it happen.

Taking a financial hit for the fans

"There's a paper that's been produced by the Miami Dolphins [American Football team] about how they are planning to set up their stadium - that's been interesting and it looks pretty sensible," Warren said.

"Frankly, it is a hassle but I think we are duty bound to our best for our season ticket holders, and people who have bought tickets and so we want to our utmost to get them in the ground.

"We are not going to make any money, it's going to cost us money. We want to do this for the fans really. I've been talking to our board about how it may work but it's very very early days. We want to aspire to do all we can.

"Our chief medical officer Bill Ribbans will tell me whether its safe or not. We'll know a lot more soon because it looks like the T20 Blast will happen in August so we have two months to prepare. But if there's a second wave [of coronavirus spreading], all bets are off, it won't happen."