Wyncote Ramblers Cricket Club

Recently published ONS data has indicated that during the week ending 3rd September Covid infection rates were running at one in 70 of the population with the R-rate lying between 0.9 and 1.1. During the same seven day period 798 deaths were recorded. For the seven days to 30th July this figure was 404. These figures are hardly cause for either optimism or even the slightest relaxation of vigilance. A comparison with figures for similar periods in 2020 makes extremely worrying reading.

In light of the removal of behavioural and societal restrictions as from 19th July, the potential emergence of further SARS-CoV-2 variants, the ongoing decline in immunity in fully vaccinated individuals, who themselves may be a potential source of often asymptomatic infection there is clearly a very serious possibility that over the next few months the situation will become even more serious. There is also a danger that set against a background of stepwise and incrementally increasing infection rates and in the absence of enforceable transmission mitigations every cricket match has the potential to become a ‘spreading event’.

Throughout the pandemic we have consistently maintained a position of maximum precaution and minimum risk which has in turn been been based on an ongoing and forensic review of the ‘hard end’ peer reviewed scientific literature, independent medical advice and the application of statistical modelling. In order to ensure the safety of all match participants, minimise the likelyhood of post-match transmission and to continue to discharge our responsibilities to wider society we intend to rigorously implement the following transmission mitigations for any remaining fixtures in the current season. This series of mitigations virtually mirror the ECB protocols which ceased to be a prerequisite for the playing of cricket on either 17th May or 19th July.

(a) No use of changing rooms before, during and after any given fixture.

(b) No catering or ‘hospitality’ either during or following the hours of play.

(c) Teams to remain entirely separate before, during and after proceedings.

(d) The maintenance of a sensible degree of physical distancing before, during and after the game.

(e) No handshaking.

(f) No items to be handed to the umpires.

(g) No saliva/perspiration to applied to the ball.

(h) Fielding side to hand sanitise prior to taking the field and also at the cessation of the innings. Players involved in any ‘roll on/roll off’ fielding substitutions should hand sanitise both prior to taking the field and immediately following leaving the field.

(i) Prior to and immediately following each scoring/umpiring ‘shift’ match participants should hand sanitise.

(j) Any match day photographs [ie group/team] should conform to the physical distancing requirements detailed above.

We trust that in the interests of both safety and collective responsibility, members and opponents will fully embrace this Match Day Safety Strategy.