CRICKET
Cricket’s Big Test
In late May, The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched ‘Together Through This Test’, a nationwide campaign shining a light on the work undertaken by the game in response to COVID-19 and highlighting resources available to the public.
Cricket staff, volunteers and players across the country, from both the professional and the recreational game, had already taken part in over 200 initiatives during lockdown.
Projects include long-distance charity runs, delivering food to the vulnerable and a dedicated phone support service for those left isolated by coronavirus. The ECB had also set up a COVID-19 resource hub showcasing the spirit and solidarity of the cricket family during this toughest of tests.
A focal point of the ECB’s campaign was a powerful short film called The Wait, narrated by ‘national treasure’ and cricket fan Stephen Fry. It captures the spirit of the cricket community and underlines the importance of patience during this difficult period.
Stephen Fry said: “It’s wonderful how patient everyone has been during this incredibly difficult time. Like many cricket fans, I long to hear the sound of leather on willow again, but while we wait it out, we do, of course, have to stick together and do what we can to support each other.”
“It was a pleasure to be able to read Jimmy Lee’s poem, which so wonderfully connects the national game with the national spirit.”
To see The Waitand get more on the ECB campaign visit
https://www.ecb.co.uk
Kent’s Director of Cricket Paul Downton
bat or ball and looks it. At the time of talking to Adrian, the feeling
in cricket circles was that the ECB’s priority was to get Test Matches played, even if it meant doing so behind closed doors, which would at least gather in television revenue. Beyond that, Adrian felt that the required bio-testing and restrictions involved to keep everyone in cricket safe was going to challenge everyone in the professional game as never before. Already, The Hundred tournament, due to be launched this summer, had been dropped. Kent’s Beckenham ground would have been used as one of the training camps for this and later on would have staged two of the games in the women’s competition. The pitches there are currently in the sole charge of Jess Jackson who is in daily touch with Adrian by phone during lockdown. Like everyone in cricket, Adrian has to continue preparing the pitches despite the
uncertainty. He described it as a huge waiting game.
Adrian has fortnightly - socially distanced - meetings with club management, and talks by phone several times a week to Paul Downton. There is, of course, regular interchange of emails between the various sectors of club activities. “Here at Kent we all know what we’re all doing and why,” says Adrian.
Adrian has trimmed costs by eliminating any unnecessary work and, of course, he is helped here by the absence of any post play repair tasks. The square is getting a normal high level of pre-season treatment, but he is cutting back on outfield feeding for the time being because, as he put it, visual appearance is not so vital until cricket is actually being played and seen. Also, he and Riley are taking care of any basic repairs to machinery like a cable that went on one of the rollers. They are managing to avoid calling in any outside
An impromptu game of cricket during World War II with the iconic Spitfire in the background
82 PC June/July 2020
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