COVID-19

Procedures for matches and training sessions – Covid-19 precautions
Updated 20 April 2021

All players, officials and parents (including visitors) must follow all the detailed ECB guidelines that have been approved by the UK government. A summary of the guidance is available at the bottom of this page and more details are on the ECB website . The full KCC plan and risk assessment is also available on this page. All club members are asked to read the guidance and KCC plan before taking part in cricket.

Here is a brief checklist before attending any cricket activity:

• Self-assess for coronavirus symptoms. If you have any symptoms, stay at home and follow the latest government guidance. Symptoms include a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss of or change to sense of taste or smell
• Get changed at home so that you are ready to take part (no changing facilities will be available)
• Wash your hands before leaving home
• If you have it, bring your own cricket equipment, bring hand sanitiser and your own refreshments especially a water bottle
• Bring a mask to wear when using indoor toilet facilities
• Be sure that you can provide your own shelter in case of bad weather
• Bring sun cream and a hat in case of good weather
• Remember to maintain social distancing of 2 metres when arriving at, taking part in and leaving the activity

These procedures have been thoroughly risk assessed and reflect the best available practices that minimise the risk of contracting coronavirus whilst participating in cricket. Nevertheless, all participants in cricket activity should be aware of the minor increase in transmission risk associated with partaking in even socially distanced group activity. Any participation in cricket activity is optional and should be undertaken with an awareness of this small increased risk. People with health conditions that put them at increased risk should consider the risks of participating in cricket activity.

The rest of this page is organised into:

• general guidelines
• children's activities
• guidelines for matches
• spectators
• advice for visiting clubs

General guidelines

• Personal hygiene measures should be carried out at home before and after cricket activity
• Participants must self-assess for coronavirus symptoms before leaving home. If you have any symptoms follow NHS and PHE guidance on self-isolation
• Participants should follow UK Government guidance on travel
• Outside cricket, participants should comply with public health restrictions and avoid high-risk behaviour
• All venues are required to collect the contact details of people aged 16+ participating in cricket activities for NHS Test & Trace
• Participants must enter the site and prepare whilst maintaining social distancing.
• Participants must arrive for training or matches changed and ready to play. No changing facilities will be made available
• Toilets will be available inside the pavilion: club members and visitors should bring a mask with them to wear whilst inside the pavilion
• Participants should bring their own hand sanitiser where possible and maintain strict and frequent hand hygiene measures at all times. Hand sanitizer to be used at all breaks in activity and prior to any food or drinks.
• Limit the sharing of equipment, but if you do share, practise strict hand hygiene.
• No sweat or saliva is to be applied to the ball at any time.
• There should be no singing, shouting or spitting.
• The club will not prepare food for participants. Individuals should bring their own food and drink for ‘teas’ or practice. Water bottles or other refreshment containers should not be shared, and should be marked with the owner’s name
• Only one official allowed inside the scorers’ box. Players and officials may have to accept less frequent updating of the score as a consequence.
• One club representative/volunteer should be responsible for collecting and disinfecting any shared equipment
• Before and after cricket activities, all club members must adhere to legal gathering limits – at the time of writing this means adhering to the ‘rule of six’. The time spent congregating before and after cricket activity should be kept to a minimum.

Guidance for children’s activities

• Parents should drop off and collect participants whilst maintaining social distancing.
• Parents should remain socially distanced on the side-line unless acting as an adult helper
• At Stratfield Brake, there is no limit on watching sessions as the club is on public land (see below) – but any spectators must keep to the ‘rule of six’ and respect social distancing
• Where matches take place at cricket clubs on private land, there may be tighter restrictions on spectators; but we encourage one adult parent or carer to remain at the venue if their young person would otherwise feel unsafe or concerned
• For younger age groups, plastic equipment should be used and should be disinfected at the end of each session

ECB guidelines to be followed during matches

• The host team are responsible for setting up the stumps and bails which must have been sanitised
• Umpires are not to handle the ball at any point of the game, leaving it at the stumps during breaks.
• Batters to clean their bat when leaving the field of play
• A ‘hygiene break’ should take place every six overs or every 20 minutes and should include hand sanitisation and the cleaning of the ball.
• Bowlers should not hand anything to the umpire.
• Social distancing must always be maintained including during celebrations and breaks.
• The ball must be immediately returned to the bowler, not passed between players.
• Batters are to run in lines to ensure they are not within 2m of the umpire, bowler or other batter
• Communal scorebooks passed from one player to another should be avoided. If multiple people are using scorebooks, disposable gloves and/or regular hand sanitisation should be used whilst scoring to minimise transmission risk

Guidance on spectators

• Spectators are not permitted to attend sporting events taking place on private land, other than adults needed to supervise under-18s that they have a responsibility for or providing care or assistance to a person with disabilities participating in an organised sporting event or activity. They should maintain social distance and not mix with other households.
• This does not prevent people from viewing recreational or organised sport that is taking place in a public space, such as a park, in groups of up to 6 people or 2 households.
• As Stratfield Brake is a public space, this does not prevent people from watching cricket that takes place there. However we ask all club members not participating in cricket to keep to the ‘rule of six’ and maintain social distancing. They should also expect not to be permitted to watch games that take place at cricket clubs that are on private land.

Advice for visiting clubs

• We are required to collect the contact details of people aged 16+ participating in cricket activities for NHS Test & Trace – could visitors please do this by checking in using the NHS QR code or providing separate contact details
• As our cricket ground is in a public space, this does not prevent people from watching cricket that takes place there. However we ask all visitors not participating in cricket to keep to the ‘rule of six’ and maintain social distancing
• No changing facilities will be made available
• Toilets will be available inside the pavilion: visitors should bring a mask with them to wear whilst inside the pavilion
• In case of wet weather, there is limited outdoor shelter. Members, players and officials will need to provide their own shelter e.g. sheltering in their own car, under umbrellas or coats, or under a gazebo

This guidance may be updated in due course and the club will update club members as soon as possible if any changes occur. All of these guidelines are in addition to the existing safeguarding policies that the club has in place, which must still be followed and are available at https://www.kidlingtoncricket.com/a/safeguarding-youth-players-55882.html.