As part of our effort to get the season going, Mount CC has drafted the following guidelines. The guidelines are based on those published by the ECB. Please read and follow them for your own and everyone else’s safety during the current pandemic. Your safety is our key concern.

Hygiene & Pre-match cricket activity

• Personal hygiene measures should be carried out at home before and after cricket activity. All participants to report any infection of their household to the NHS Test and Trace system following use of the facility to limit the spread of the virus
• Participants should bring their own hand sanitiser where possible and maintain strict and frequent hand hygiene measures at all times.
• Participants should follow UK Government guidance on best practice for travel, including minimising the use of public transport and limiting car sharing
• Please be aware of expected social distancing and hygiene measures during play and whilst on site.
• Arrive changed and ready to begin.
• The clubhouse is out of bounds other than use of the toilet
• Limit the number of people setting up equipment before a game and remember to sanitise after handling equipment. Umpire to set up stumps and bails.
• Mount CC will undertake a risk assessment. This is available to members and opposition on request.
• Home captain will request opposition make available a list of participant contact details for Track & Trace.

During all cricket activity

• 11-a-side cricket can return as long as groups are limited to a maximum of 30 participants, scorers and officials. Spectators are discouraged from attending.
• Where possible limit sharing of equipment. If you do, practise strict hand hygiene before and after use and the equipment must be cleaned before use by another person.
• No sweat or saliva is to be applied to the ball at any time.
• All participants should sanitise their hands prior to the start of the activity.
• Hand sanitiser should be used at all breaks in activity and prior to consuming any food or drinks.
• Players should refrain from spitting or rinsing out their mouths.
• A ‘hygiene break’ should take place every six overs or every 20 minutes, whichever is sooner, in which the ball is cleaned with an antimicrobial wipe and all participants’ hands are cleaned using a suitable sanitiser. This routine should also be followed at the start of any drinks break or the close of an innings. The responsibility for sanitising the ball during the match will lie with the fielding captain, not the umpire.
• Batters to sanitise their bat when leaving the field of play and Wicket Keepers should sanitise their gloves.
• Bowlers should not hand any personal items to the umpire. Bowlers should place these items at the boundary themselves.
• Batters are to run in distinct running lines to ensure they are not within 2m of the bowler or other batter. Lines to be marked on the square on either side of the wicket.
• Social distancing must always be maintained including during post-wicket celebrations, drinks breaks and tactical discussions.
• Minimise sharing of the ball in a match by limiting contact as the ball makes its way back to the bowler e.g. ball goes straight from wicketkeeper to bowler instead of around surrounding fielders.
• Umpires should refrain from any contact with the ball, it can be returned to the base of the stumps at breaks and wickets.
• Umpires should be responsible for the stumps closest to them and should be the only person replacing the bails if dislodged.
• In the event of rain, participants should return to their own vehicle to maintain social distancing if there is insufficient outdoor cover from the rain to maintain social distancing.
• Communal scorebooks passed from one player to another should be avoided.
• Spectators should remain socially distanced at all times and refrain from all contact with the ball e.g. returning it to the field of play. Spectator groups must be restricted to discrete six person gathering limits and spread out, in line with wider UK Government guidance.
• Mount CC will not be providing teas or refreshments. Individuals should bring their own food and drink for ‘teas’. Water bottles or other refreshment containers should not be shared.

After all cricket activity

• All participants should sanitise their hands after the completion of activity.
• Participants should exit whilst maintaining social distancing.