Quaid e Azam Premier Cricket League Cricket League, Asian cricket, Sunday Cricket League, Best Asian cricket league
Applies to both Quaid e Azam Premier Cricket League and Dewsbury and District Sunday Cricket League
ORGANISED OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL CRICKET GUIDANCE FOR ENGLAND IN 2021
Version 1 Government Roadmap Step 1B | March 2021
This guidance provides advice on how to control and minimise those risks whilst enjoying cricket safely.
• Everyone attending an organised match, practice match or nets should carry out a self-assessment for COVID
symptoms before leaving home and follow NHS and PHE self-isolation procedures if they are
symptomatic.
• No one who is required to self-isolate should attend a match, practice match or nets.
• Cricket is by nature a socially distanced game and social distancing should be maintained on the
field wherever possible, including warm ups and avoid get together . Only where social distancing of 1 m+ is permitted:
1) wicket keepers standing up to the stumps and
2) distance between slip fielders.
• Off the field, social distancing guidelines and legal gathering size limits must be observed – at Step1B
this means the Rule of 6 or a group made up of two households (a group made up of two
households can include more than 6 people, but only where all members of the group are from the
same two households (or support/childcare bubbles, where eligible)).
• Changing rooms must remain closed except for disabled persons and emergency requirements.
Players and match official should arrive in their kit ready to play/umpire and should return home in their kit.
• Clubhouses including social and hospitality facilities must remain closed, but toilet and hand washing provision is permitted subject to risk assessment, occupancy limits, suitable ventilation and frequent and effective cleaning.
• Hygiene breaks in play are required every 6 overs.
• Participants should bring their own food and drink and drinks bottles should not be shared.
• There is a legal requirement to record participant and attendee contact details for the purposes of NHS Test and Trace and clubs and venues must ensure that data is collected in accordance with data protection law.
• Spectators are not permitted in any indoor or outdoor sport facility at Step 1B. This does not apply to carers for people with disabilities, or adults needed to supervise under-18s in a safeguarding role. Where it is necessary for them to be present, supervising adults should not mix with others from outside their household or support bubble.
Before attending any cricket activities or venues, all participants, officials, volunteers and spectators must self-assess for COVID-19 symptoms:
o A high temperature.
o A new, continuous cough.
o A loss of, or change to, their sense of smell or taste.
If you have one or more of these symptoms you should not attend any cricket activity and must follow NHS and PHE guidance on self-isolation.
Personal hygiene measures should be carried out at home before and after use of the facility.
• Bring your own hand sanitiser where possible and practice strong hand hygiene at all times.
• Participants should bring their own food and drink. Water bottles should be clearly marked with the owner’s name and must not be shared.
• Social interaction before playing cricket should only take place outdoors, and in separate and distinct groups consisting of up to 6 people or two households.
During all organised outdoor cricket activity
• Participants should enter the site and prepare their personal equipment whilst maintaining social distancing.
• People should maintain the rules on social contact before and after sporting activity.
• Sharing of equipment must be avoided where possible, particularly that used around the head and face, such as helmets. Where equipment is shared, equipment must be cleaned before use by another person. More information is available here.
• No sweat or saliva is to be applied to the ball at any time. Any infringement should result in immediate disinfection of the ball.
• All participants to wash their hands prior to the start of the activity.
• Hand sanitiser to be used at all breaks in activity and prior to any food or drinks.
• There should be no shouting, singing or spitting.
After all organised outdoor cricket activity
• Participants will exit whilst maintaining social distancing.
• Social interaction after playing cricket should only take place outdoors, and in separate and distinct groups consisting of up to 6 people or two households. Social distancing should be maintained.
Additional advice for socially distanced match-play
• Fielders to maintain social distancing (no fielders allowed within 1 m of the batter or other fielders).
• The non-striking batter should remain socially distanced from the umpire and should run on the
opposite side of the pitch to the batter on strike.
• No sweat or saliva to be applied to the ball at any time.
• A ‘hygiene break’ should take place every six overs or every 20 minutes, whichever is sooner, in which the ball is cleaned with a suitable disinfectant wipe (conforming to BS EN 14476) and all participants’ hands are cleaned using a suitable sanitiser. This routine should also be followed at the start of any drinks break or the close of an innings. The responsibility for sanitising the ball during the match will lie with the fielding captain, not the umpire.
• Bowlers will not be able to hand their cap or hat, jumper or glasses to the umpire. They will need to place these themselves at the boundary.
• If two scorers are required, social distancing must be maintained with only one official inside the scorers’ box and no players to be allowed in the scorers’ box. The scorers’ box should be well ventilated.
• Scorebooks passed from one player to another should be avoided.
• Social distancing must always be maintained including during post-wicket celebrations, drinks breaks and tactical discussions.
• There should be no handshakes, shouting or spitting.
• Minimise sharing of ball in match by limiting contact as the ball makes its way back to the bowler e.g. ball goes straight from wicketkeeper to bowler instead of around surrounding fielders.
• Those not on the field of play should refrain from all contact with the ball e.g. returning it to the
field of play.
• Umpires should refrain from any contact with the ball, it can be returned to the base of the stumps
at breaks and wickets.
• Umpires should be responsible for the stumps closest to them and should be the only person replacing the bails if dislodged.
• Batters to sanitise their bat when leaving the field of play.
• It is best practice to limit movement of children between groups, where possible children should stay in the same group.
• The safe number of groups at a venue must be determined by a COVID Risk Assessment for the venue. Social distancing must be maintained.
Advice for Inclement Weather
• In the event of rain, participants should return to their own vehicle to maintain social distancing if there is insufficient outdoor cover from the rain to maintain social distancing.
• Application of covers in the event of wet weather should be done with social distancing measures in place (>1 m between individuals).
Hand cleaning
Hand washing with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds is a recommended method for cleaning hands and reducing COVID virus transmission. However, to avoid long socially distanced queues for sinks, frequent hand sanitising gel with a minimum alcohol content of 60% is a convenient and effective method for reducing transmission.
Assess where people on site will need to sanitise their hands and place hand sanitiser there – for example:
• On the field of play (with umpires for hygiene breaks)
• On entering/exiting buildings
Spectators
• Spectators are not permitted in any indoor or outdoor cricket facility at Step 1B on the UK Government Roadmap.
NHS Test and Trace
• Clubs are required to keep a record of all participants at the venue, to support NHS Test and Trace.
• Display an official NHS QR code poster, so that participants can ‘check in’ using this option, as an alternative to providing their contact details.
