Coronavirus – a message from the chairman
It is with deep regret that I write to our players, members and supporters to inform you that the 2020 cricket season at Saffron Walden Cricket Club will be suspended until further notice. Whilst this will be no surprise to you, it will be an enormous disappointment, but it is clearly the right thing to do.
The England and Wales Cricket Board is our Governing Body and they have issued a statement (see below). These recommendations affect all junior and senior leagues, cup competitions, the Chance to Shine Programme in primary schools, county age group squads and all training and coaching programmes both indoors and outdoors. We will let you know what decisions have been made by the various leagues in which SWCC competes just as soon as we hear anything from those leagues.
For SWCC the Big Bash semi-final scheduled for tonight, the final the following week, and our Open Day on 25 April are all postponed until further notice. The Herts and Essex Cricket Centre is closed so there will be no more senior training sessions. Our promotional assemblies in primary schools, the launch of our Girls’ EP Squad as part of our Essex Girls’ Hub status, the re-launch of our Crocus Disability squad and the publication of our fixtures handbook are also postponed indefinitely.
We will continue to serve you as a club in whatever way we can. We will communicate with you regularly and respond positively and professionally to all government advice as it evolves. We will advise you as soon as we feel it is possible to reintroduce some form of cricket. If you feel there is any way we as a club can support you during the difficult times ahead you should not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. We will continue to keep you involved via our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter platforms. We hope you and your families stay healthy in the months to come.
David Barrs
Chairman, Saffron Walden Cricket Club
20 March 2020
Statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board
Dear all,
Following the Government’s latest advice around social distancing, it is with sadness and reluctance that we recommend that all forms of recreational cricket are for now suspended.
This extends to training, pre-season friendlies and any associated cricket activity.
Sport plays an absolutely vital role in the nation’s mental and physical wellbeing, and it helps people find meaning where there is fear and uncertainty, so one of our goals in the coming weeks will be to explore ways that we can support some levels of physical activity in communities – particularly at junior levels.
Using our cricket community to support others could be one of the most important services we can offer during the difficult next few months.
It will be critical that any decisions we do make are medically-led. And we will continue to work with Government and their advisors to ensure we are informed by science in our decision making.
Over the coming weeks we will work with the game to understand what support is required across the cricket community, particularly local clubs and leagues.
We understand that countless hours of work from thousands of volunteers have already gone into getting ready for the 2020 season and we know how disappointing this will be. We are thankful for the huge role that volunteers play in local cricket, to ensure the game remains at the heart of communities.
We know that you and your clubs can play an important role in bringing your community together once we get past this period of time.