I am pleased to bring you the first sign of some positive news for cricket. You will be aware that earlier this week the Government relaxed some of the restrictions in place in society in general, but more specifically to sport. You may have heard tennis, golf and fishing get particular mentions, but the same relaxations also applied to cricket. However, we have had to wait until today to get the detailed advice and guidance from the ECB.
That is the good news but it comes with a long list of restrictions. First of all I should stress that there has been no change to the general message for cricket of no group activity (practice, coaching and matches) until the 1st July at the earliest. The relaxation announced allows for the limited use of outdoor facilities for practice, primarily on a 1 to 1 basis (or more if from the same family or household).
So what does this mean for Dulwich CC?
At the moment we are processing all the requirements and this will take a bit of time to put in place for the benefit of everyone. We are planning a series of 1 to 1 coaching arrangements for our juniors over a two or three week period starting next week once we have finalised the arrangements and requirements for these. These will take place during the day, essentially from 9.00am to 5.00pm. This has been arranged for a number of reasons including the fact that many hundreds of juniors have paid fees for a coaching programme which has not been able to start and is unlikely to be able to take place in the way it usually does over the Summer. Additionally, it is important that we support our committed team of coaches who, as you can imagine, have been severely hit by the lack of cricket activity.
Although cricket is re-starting at Dulwich CC this is in a controlled way, under the close supervision of qualified coaches who have been heavily involved in the planning of the arrangements and what is required. We need more time, however, to sort through the full requirements of the guidance for the Club as a whole, the senior section in particular, as well as wider use by members outside of this planned programme of 1 to 1 sessions for juniors.
THEREFORE, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, THE CRICKET FACILITIES AT DULWICH CC ARE CLOSED FOR USE BY ALL EXCEPT FOR THE JUNIORS PROGRAMME AS ABOVE. The outdoor nets will remain locked and people should not come to the Club for any cricket activity until advised.
We hope that access will be opened for use by all players in two or three weeks time, towards the end of May or at the start of June. Use, however, will be limited with a list of guidance and requirements that must be followed by all users. In addition, access and use will only be through a carefully controlled booking system which we need to set up.
I fully appreciate that this means a further wait for those of you eager to get on a cricket field in some way. But it is vital we can satisfy the requirements of the ECB and the Sports Club, as well as ensure as safe an environment as possible for users. We are moving the actions required forward as quickly as possible and I will update you as the position develops.
If you have any comments or queries then please drop me a line.
Kind regards and keep safe.
Graeme Hough
President
Dulwich Cricket Club