Please see most recent update regarding a safe return to cricket from Cricket Scotland.

Morning all.

A bit of good news on a Friday – following the Scottish Government announcement on 9th March, the key changes permitted for outdoor sport and exercise come into effect today, Friday 12th March.

The key changes for cricket activity concerns adults (18+) youth (12 and over) and juniors (Under 12).

1         Outdoor sport and group exercise – 12 and over

Up to 15 people can take part in outdoor non-contact sport or exercise (training or intra-club competition). This number includes coaches.

2        Outdoor sport and group exercise – Under 12

Up to 30 juniors can take part in outdoor non-contact sport or exercise (training or intra-club competition). This number includes coaches.

3        Travel restrictions

People should stay as close to home as possible, in line with current travel restrictions, however some flexibility will be given to under 18s allowing parents to drive under 18s outside their local area for their regular organised group activity. Adults must stay within their own local area.

Please note that restrictions remain and risk mitigation continues to be paramount in the opening of club cricket – for full guidance please visit the Cricket Scotland COVID-19 page here.

Iain Kennedy
WDCU Administrator

Please see latest information sent to clubs from the WDCU regarding a safe return to cricket.

Good morning, please see an information update on a safe return to cricket to all clubs from WDCU.

You may have seen the update from Cricket Scotland on Friday which briefly commented on planning for a potential start to the season in late May/early June.  This would give the possibility of a full or only slightly reduced league season if achieved, but will be dependent on a number of variables, most notably Scottish Government tiering and travel restrictions which are unlikely to be known for some time yet, and may mean different associations take different approaches. We must also remember that the position could change during the season. We appreciate that this is as frustrating for clubs and players as it is for us, but ask for some patience in what is a very challenging situation to manage . There are a number of options in the planning stage, based on various scenarios. In the meantime, we would urge all clubs who have not already done so to respond to the request from our Administrator on ground availability up until mid September, which is essential for us to plan effectively.

Iain Kennedy
WDCU Administrator

Please see most recent note from Cricket Scotland to clubs with a link to its March newsletter.

Dear Clubs,

Hopefully you will have received our most recent newsletter today via email.

Following recent feedback from the Regional Associations regarding communication between Cricket Scotland and club players, it would be very helpful if you could share the newsletter with your members – pdf version attached and online link here.

We are trying to encourage more club players to subscribe to the newsletter, and you will notice there is a competition linked to this to win £500 worth of junior kit for a club of your choice.

Enjoy your weekend.

Best regards.

Paul

Paul Macari
Head of Operations
Cricket Scotland

Please see a message regarding umpire recruitment for season 2021, including a female-only course.

CSMOA is proud to announce to its members, and more importantly, prospective members the details of 2021 training courses for umpires.

Due to current travel and meeting restrictions we are holding this years courses via virtual learning.

We have two options available; an online ECB ACO accredited course, or a Zoom meeting facilitated by accredited tutors. Both courses being the equivalent to the Stage 1 ECB ACO qualification.

For the first time we are also offering a female-only Zoom course being led by an accredited female tutor, Ingeborg Bevers.

It is essential to  pre-register for either options as spaces will be limited. The pre-registration link being 

For the online course, we will provide a link after registration, and this can be completed at your own pace. For the Zoom courses we will provide joining instructions, the dates being;

• Thursday 25th March at 7pm
• Thursday 1st April at 7pm
• Thursday 8th April at 7pm

For more detailed course content and CSMOA information, please visit: www.csmoa.org.uk

All courses are supported and funded by CSMOA, and are therefore free of charge to all registered participants.

This year is a key year for umpire recruitment, so please spread the word to any interested cricketing communities, we are keen to hear from all. To this end, we attach two flyers promoting the courses for any onward communication.

Any further queries, please contact the undersigned.

Kind regards.

Allan Jack
Head of Recruitment
CSMOA

CSMOA Umpire training, Stage1, 2021, female

CSMOA Umpire training, Stage1, 2021, open

Please see message below sent from WDCU to all club contacts on 25th February 2021.

Please find below a club update following the most recent WDCU Executive and Cricket Management Committee meetings.  The  Cricket Scotland Regional Chairs meeting had been deferred until after the latest Scottish Government announcement and is now planned for Monday next week.  With regard to season 2021, the WDCU are still planning as full and meaningful a season as possible taking into account Covid-19 guidelines and rules.  The CMC is currently undertaking an exercise to temporarily adapt the Saturday League Administration Rules to cater for the circumstances we find ourselves in.  The rules may be subject to further change before or during the season and will be shared with clubs as soon as the current work is finalised.

Unfortunately the Scottish Government announcement on 23rd February regarding lockdown easing, and the subsequent Cricket Scotland update on the 24th, do not indicate significant change in the short- to medium-terms and indications are that geographical movement restrictions may be in place into the early part of the season.  It is hoped that the next announcement around 15th March may provide more clarity and allow our planning to be more meaningful.

As stated in the earlier mail I will update you as and when significant information becomes available during March and once again at the end of the month.

Thank you to all clubs that have now submitted their initial estimates for team participation for the season.  A number of clubs have still to update me with their new club contacts for the season and more importantly any ground availability issues for the season. This was due in for 6th February so could you please return the latter to me by Friday 9th March if you haven’t done so yet.

Could I remind clubs that your subscription for the year is now due and would ask you to arrange payment to the treasurer as soon as possible and no later than the 31st of March.

Please also remember that we are taking ball orders for the coming season and I have reattached the order form for your use.

Please find below a message from Cricket Scotland CEO Gus Mackay regarding a safe return to cricket this season.  This follows Tuesdays announcement from the First Minister regarding lockdown easing.

COVID-19 update, 24 February 2021

Please see below two acknowledgements of Prestwick CC members fundraising effort for the Brain Tumour Charity. The walk from Prestwick to Lords raised over £4,500. Well done to all concerned.

Milngavie CC are on the look out for a Level 2/3 qualified coach to help prepare their team for this season.  If you are interested please contact Matthew Edmonds on his email: massieedmonds@googlemail.com

A paid player/coach position is available at Irvine CC.  Please see details in the document below.

Coach advert, Irvine CC

“I am writing to update you on our positive steps towards a return to cricket in the coming months.

“As we have throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Cricket Scotland is in regular contact with sportscotland to ensure that cricket is well represented in any plans for a return to sport.

“The Scottish Government is currently focused on the return of schools, but if this goes well then it is likely that the country will revert to a tier system (0 to 4) in March, allowing for some sport to be played under the same kind of restrictions as last season.

“Cricket Scotland is committed to facilitating the return of the sport as soon as is safely possible and we will continue to work with sportscotland and the Scottish Government to review restrictions on specific areas which might inhibit a return to play, for example, the sharing of transport.

“While there is still some uncertainty around the timing, we are actively planning to help the game get up and running again as quickly as possible. We are hopeful that, as case numbers drop and the vaccines are rolled out, it will be possible for us all to enjoy a better domestic cricket season this year.

“With that in mind we will be advertising several new short term (6-month) roles within Cricket Scotland tomorrow (Friday), including three regional Development Officers, with the aim of supporting clubs once play is possible again and maximising the number of people who have the opportunity take part in cricket in Scotland this summer.

“I will keep you updated on any further developments once we have received more information from sportscotland.

Gus Mackay
CEO