It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that WCACO life member, Peter Ogden, passed away peacefully on 3rd November.

Many will be aware that he had been ill for some time but he continued to fight his illness to the end. The committal ceremony will be at Manchester Southern Crematorium at 12.00 on Monday, 16th November. Unfortunately, because of the current restrictions, attendance is strictly limited but I would be happy to think that you may take amoment to reflect on his life and maybe raise a glass to his memory.

No flowers please but, if desired, donations in his name are welcome, and should be sent to: St Ann’s Hospice, Heald Green, Cheadle SK8 3SZ

A WCACO members meeting will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, 15th July at 8pm.

The objective is to address questions related to the ECB guidance documents and share experiences from any friendly matches played this weekend.

The ECB website contains the resources here. The specific links to the Officials documents are below:

https://resources.ecb.co.uk/ecb/document/2020/07/09/b3f4f40f-fa4e-468d-ae24-faea0cc37753/Guidance_umpires_scorers_socially_distanced_cricket_matches_England.pdf

https://resources.ecb.co.uk/ecb/document/2020/07/10/4d473a10-958e-4450-9db9-bfbbf18d3f29/Guidance_for_Officials_July_2020.pdf

If you are a current WCACO member and want to attend this meeting, please contact Alex Holowczak at alexholowczak@gmail.com.

You will be sent the information to join the meeting next Wednesday afternoon.

For those of you who missed the Prime Minister’s press conference earlier this evening, I am delighted to inform you that the UK Government has given the green light for recreational cricket in England to return from Saturday July 11. The latest update from the UK Government signals progression from step 3 to step 4 of ECB’s roadmap to return for the recreational game, meaning competitive cricket matches in England with adjustments to respect hygiene and social distancing will be permitted.

ECB has maintained a constant dialogue with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) throughout this process and the UK Government have stated that COVID-secure guidance will be published in the coming days.

Guidelines are already prepared for the return of recreational cricket and following the Prime Minister’s comments, will now be finalised and shared early next week including specific guidance for umpires and scorers.

Martin Gentle
Interim Head of ACO & Membership Service Manager

We are delighted that the UK Government have given their permission for recreational cricket to return from next weekend. We will shortly be publishing our approved guidelines to help clubs and players prepare for cricket's return.

— England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) July 3, 2020