29th May 2020
| Mallory Gray
Cricket Wales notes
FM Drakeford’s address of this lunchtime, Friday 29 May 2020, and the announced
changes to regulations in Wales, following the government’s latest review of
lockdown rules, which have been in place for several weeks, owing to the Coronavirus
pandemic;
see here for the details
While today’s announcement has
sadly not immediately changed the position for Cricket in Wales, we will
continue to work with the Welsh Sports sector and the Welsh Government to agree a safe return to further outdoor
physical activity.
We will also continue to work with
the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on
the wider ‘Return to Cricket’ plan for the grassroots game. All such plans and
proposals will need to be ratified by the Welsh & UK governments in due
course, as this situation develops and as regulations ease further.
In the meantime, we must sadly reiterate to cricket
participants in Wales that cricket activities in Wales should remain suspended,
in line with the current Welsh Government rules.
We would also like to clarify and remind clubs and
cricketers that the 1st August potential re-start date mentioned in
articles and the most recent ECB update statement refers to PROFESSIONAL
domestic cricket ONLY.
Recreational cricket remains suspended until further
notice in both England and Wales; There is not yet a specific target or
planned start date for recreational cricket. - Any such re-start of
recreational cricket, in either England or Wales, is ultimately in the hands of
the respective government - and that date could yet be either before or after
the 1st August timeline to which the professional domestic game
plans are currently aligned.
Cricket Wales would finally like to extend a huge
Diolch/Thank you to everyone in the Welsh Cricket Family, who we recognise have
been so patient in waiting for positive news about the possibility to take part
in some form of cricket activity this summer.
Leshia Hawkins, CEO of Cricket Wales, commented, “My team
and I are fully cognisant of, and sympathetic to, how much you have all deeply
missed the opportunity to see, hear and feel leather on willow – or, for our
younger cricketers, the joy of smashing soft balls to the boundary with plastic
bats. I want to reassure our Cricket community that we will continue to work
diligently with everyone involved to plot the swiftest - but also safest -
possible return to activity, as the rules in Wales permit.
“We are committed to ensuring Cricket in Wales emerges from
this unprecedented challenge even stronger, and we remain optimistic, with the
Welsh Government highlighting outdoor sports facilities for specific
examination at the next review, for some kind of cricket activity to resume in
Wales next month.
“In the meantime, please stay safe, continue to look out for
your team-mates, friends and those closest to you, and do contact us if Cricket
Wales can support you further.”