Cricket activities suspended

Merstham Cricket Club continues to be guided by the England and Wales Cricket Board regarding health and safety and the coronavirus.

We have now been told by the ECB that all forms of cricket activity - from indoor training to matches and social gatherings - must be suspended. Therefore there will be no further sessions at St Bede's (adults and junior boys) or the Royal Alexandra and Albert School (girls). The indoor cricket leagues have also now closed.

Furthermore, the NatWest Cricket Force weekend, when we prepare both our grounds for the season, is also postponed. We will of course need to hold such an event to prepare for the season in due course. In the meantime, please do not use the club's facilities.

We would echo the ECB's statement, reflecting the mood set by Government, to look out for each other, when it says: "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 also reflects Government sentiments that any decisions about social activity will be medically-led.

Merstham Cricket Club's committee meeting on Wednesday resolved to do everything we can to play cricket in some form during the season. But we cannot currently say when we will be allowed to resume and what form this week take. It is just too early to tell. We will continue to follow advice issued from the ECB, Sport England and the Government and will keep you informed of any decisions along the way. The committee will meet again in April when, hopefully, we will have a better picture of how the Covid-19 situation has unfolded and have had decisions from leagues as to how much cricket is scheduled for this season.

In the meantime, we hope you will stay safe and that you are able to look after those in your networks and communities who need support at this difficult time.