ECB Step 4 Return to guidance when playing cricket

Summarized

Insight into your club’s insurance position is essentialand you should contact club insurers and insurance advisers directly before returning to play or reopening the clubhouse process to ensure proper insurance has been taken out and additional steps are required.

ECB Step 4 does not work as usual (that is ECB Step 5)but you will open your facility to more people than you have had so far.

During all cricket activities

• Cricket activity must take placeoutdoors only.
• 11-a-side cricketcan return as long as groups are limited to amaximum of 30 participantsincluding coaches and officials.
• Participants must enter the venue and prepare their personal equipment while maintaining social distance.
• Whenever possible, players shouldrestrict equipment sharing. If they do, they should use strict hand hygiene before and after use, and the equipment should be cleaned by another person before use.
• No sweat or salivamust be applied to the ball at all times.
• All participants should do thatclean their handsbefore the start of the activity.
• Hand sanitisershould be used during all breaks in activity and before eating or drinking.
• Players should refrain fromspit or rinse their mouth.
• In accordance with current British government guidelines,clubs shouldnotprepared food for participants.Individuals should bring their own food and drinks for tea or for exercise. Water bottles or other refreshment containers should not be shared.

After all cricket activities

• All participants should do thatclean their hands upon completion of the activity.
• Participants must leave whilekeep social distance.
• Social gatherings after the activity are allowedin accordance with current UK government guidelineson hospitality and social distancemust be maintained.
• One club representative / volunteer should be responsible forcollection and disinfectionall shared equipment.
• Regular cleaning of equipment and facility must take placeespecially between one group that ends and the next group that starts.
• Clubs should encourage all participantsreport any infection in their householdto the NHS Test and Trace system.

Clubs must support NHS Test and Trace effortsby keeping a temporary record of all participants in cricket activities for 21 daysand support NHS requests for data if necessary.

Additional advice for socially distant match play

• Players must adhere to the UK Government’s social distance guidelines (including during warm-ups) at all times, except in the following limited circumstances during competitive play in England where 1m + is allowed: 1) upright goalkeepers And 2) distance between slipfielders.
• A hygiene break should take place every six overs or every 20 minutes, whichever comes first, cleaning the ball an antimicrobial wipe and the hands of all participants are cleaned with an appropriate disinfectant. This routine should also be followed at the beginning of a drinking break or the end of an innings. Responsibility for clearing the ball during the match rests with the captain, not the umpire.
• Batters to disinfect their batwhen leaving the playing field andWicket Keepers must disinfect their gloves.
• Bowlers are not allowed to hand over personal items to the referee. Bowlers must place these items at the border themselves.
• Batters must run in different running linesto ensure that they are not within 2 m of the bowler or other batter.Mark lines on the square on either side of the wicket.
• If two scorers are needed, the social distance must be maintainedwith only one official in the scorer’s box and no players in the scorer’s box. The scoreboard must be well ventilated.
• Common score bookspassed from one player to another should be avoided.
• Social distancingshould always be maintained, includingduring post-wicket parties, drinks and tactical discussions.
• Minimize ball sharing in a matchby limiting contact while the ball returns to the bowler, eg the ball goes directly from the wicket-keeper to the bowler rather than around the surrounding field players.
• Spectators should keep a social distance at all timesand refrain from any contact with the ball, eg by returning it to the field of play.Spectator groups should be limited to discrete six peoplecollect limitsand distributed, in accordance with broader guidelines from the British government.
• Refereesmust rememberany contact with the ball,it can be returned to the base of the stumps during breaks and wickets.
• Referees should be responsible for the stumps closest to them and should be the only person replacing the bail if it is released.
• Use of the clubhouse, changing rooms and toilets must comply with the latest government adviceand be prepared in accordance with the ECB guidelines for preparing your clubhouse and grounds for step 4.
• The Commission has released detailed guidance on officialsAssociation of Cricket Officials (ACO)including appropriate penalties for entrants not complying with the COVID-19 guidelines, including but not limited to ejecting players and canceling matches.

Extra advice for clubs and club representatives

Preparation of the cricket venue

• Before reaching and then re-opening Step 4 of the ECB Roadmap, club representatives should ensure that their facility complies with current UK government law, including legislation and guidelines related to COVID-19, and in accordance with ECB guidelines on getting your club house and Ground Ready for Step 4. A risk assessment should have been completed and risk mitigation measures taken and monitored.
• On each day of the activity, club representatives and volunteers must ensure that all COVID-19 measures are taken according to the club’s business and safety plans, while maintaining social distance is helpful in developing your own opening checklist. This should include:

o Establishment of operational procedures for public health and access signaling.

o Establishment of a cricket facility including all ground safety requirements.

• The duty of care that the club already owed will continue to exist and therefore other issues such as first aid must also continue to exist. First aid equipment (including AEDs if available) and appropriate PPE for first aid should be provided. Advice on first aid during the COVID pandemic is available from St. John Ambulance.
• Clubs should make hand washing facilities and / or hand sanitizers available to all users of the site.
• Clubs should get on and off, and parking facilities for locations that maintain social distance, and where possible implement appropriate traffic flow systems.
• Clubs must indicate socially remote areas for teams, officials and spectators.
• Clubs must ensure that all accessible facilities within the site and facility are available.
• Clubs and grounds managers must mark running lines in the square in line with the pop pleat at 2m intervals on either side of the wicket.

Advice for special occasions, eg Rain

• In case of rain,participants must return to their own vehicleto maintain the social distance if there is not enough outdoor screen against the rain to keep the social distance.
• Applying covers in wet weather should be done while maintaining social distance.