for Clubs and Leagues......
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Dear All
This week's bulletin contains information on the 2021 Cricket Playing Survey, Inspired to Play, and Monthly Shoutouts as well as the latest from the Royal London Club Championship.
We want you to have your say.
As a game, we had to be flexible and adaptable last year, and we know many players have returned to a slightly different cricket experience again this summer.
To help us better understand the challenges that those playing have faced so far, we are delivering a pulse survey in the middle of the season to ensure that the voices of players and volunteers continue to be heard and help us to be proactive in supporting the network throughout the summer.
As in previous years, the Cricket Playing Survey will also take place at the end of the season.
Thank you for taking the time to have you say!
Recent champions Swardeston CC and Richmondshire CC were knocked out of the Royal London Club Championship at the Second Round stage on Sunday which saw some nail-biting finishes as clubs from across the ECB Premier Leagues did battle to progress to the Last 32 stage of the competition.
Swardeston from Norfolk were the current holders, having done the double in 2019 after also winning the Vitality Club T20 (with both competitions not running in 2020) but they lost on the final ball of the match against fellow East Anglian Premier League side Cambridge CC by 4 wickets. Further north Richmondshire from North Yorkshire, the 2018 winners, travelled to Barnard Castle CC and also saw their hopes of progressing in the competition end on the final ball of the match which saw Robert West score an unbeaten 57 off just 33 balls to guide his North Yorkshire & South Durham Premier League side home by 3 wickets.
The welcome sunshine after a wet May saw 12 centuries scored with Ben Wells’ 139 from 86 balls topping the scoring list which helped guide West of England Premier League side Bath CC to a comfortable 79 run victory against Bashley Rydal CC from the Southern Premier League. Largest partnership in Round Two was at Hanging Heaton CC from the Bradford Premier League as their openers Gary Fellows and Nicholas Connolly, who both scored centuries, put on 236 for the first wicket in their 49 run win against Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League side Elsecar CC.
Stephen Burdett and Ashish Padki topped the individual bowling performances in the Second Round, both returning figures of 5-30. Burdett’s Woodhouse Grange CC beat Yorkshire Premier League North rivals Dunnington CC by 3 wickets while Padki’s performance helped his Potters Bar CC side from the Hertfordshire Premier League overcome Middlesex Premier League’s North Middlesex CC by 6 wickets.
Finally the closest finish of the Round came at Wallasey CC when they took on Prestwich CC. Prestwich from the Greater Manchester Cricket League chose to bat first and scored 231-9, in reply Liverpool & District Cricket Competition Premier League team Wallasey matched Prestwich’s score of 231, having scored 11 off the final over, but only lost 7 wickets so progressed by virtue of losing fewer wickets.
The Third Round of the Royal London Club Championship is to be played on Sunday 27th June and full details of the competition can be found on the competition Play-Cricket site – ecb.play-cricket.com
We recently announced the launch of the Inspired to Play Grant scheme, with the aim to increase the number of children (boys and girls) and/or women participating in the game by supporting the delivery of new/enhanced recreational cricket activity in England and Wales during the months of June - September 2021.
There is still a chance to apply, and to help showcase the types of activity that the grant will be put towards, we are pleased to share four case studies of clubs who are successfully in the process of receiving their grant. We hope this can inspire you to think about how your club could benefit, and help to bring cricket to new audiences this summer.
Your Club can apply for a grant of £1,000 and/or £250 to help your Club open up for new and current players this summer. To apply, please follow the below steps:
This year we are introducing a monthly appreciation shout out to recognise a coach or coach developer’s hard work, achievements and contribution to cricket. We would love for you to show your appreciation and share their stories throughout the 2021 season.
We are now accepting submissions for May focusing on those coaches who have really inspired and made a difference to players’ in the first few weeks of the season.
The closing date is Monday 14th June.
For June our monthly appreciation shout outs will be celebrating female coaches and female coach developers. We would love to recognise their achievements and share their stories of how they are making a difference, transforming the game to create more opportunities for women to get involved and inspiring the next generation of female players and coaches.
The closing date is Monday 21st June.
England & Wales Cricket Board
11 June 2021