Be A Game
Changer
Formats
Delivering the formats that best suit players.
Allow players
to be home no
later than 7.30pm
Start games no
later than 1pm
on Saturdays
The National Cricket Playing Survey (NCPS) shows that nationally the latest end time players are comfortable with is 7pm and preferred travel time is 30 minutes. Players who play less often actually preferred a 6pm finish time.
Play win/lose cricket
with simple points systems
Limit
travel
time to
45 mins
The York and District Senior Cricket League introduced a regionalised structure in 2014 – this saved a total of 50,000 player miles of travelling.
Ensure teams
play 40 or
45 overs per
innings
Support
captains
to ensure a
minimum of
17 overs
per hour
This is important to deliver a game day within 5–6 hours, described by players as their ‘perfect day’.
Every Game Matters
It’s important to keep players involved and ensure every game matters – to keep players interested and reduce concessions.
Use
aggregate
points
systems
Revise rules to ensure that every point that is earned counts towards final league positions, moving away from methods involving average points.
A bowler should not be able to bowl one quarter or more of the overs available.
Ensure
at least
5 bowlers
are used
1 in 2
players
say they have seen games
cancelled or abandoned that
could have been played.
Reward teams for playing by
ensuring more points
for playing than cancelling
Offer positive
incentives to
encourage
more umpires
and scorers
In the Bristol and District Cricket League teams receive two extra bonus points per game if they provide an umpire who has attended a three hour pre-season course run and funded by the league.
Revising rules relating to rain-affected games is important to make sure that there’s a reasonable opportunity for both teams to win the game.
This will encourage teams to
play in rain-affected games,
particularly towards the end of
the season.
Flexibility
Improve flexibility in registration and play – to allow players to play when and where they wish.
Adopt simple
registration
procedures
Alter rules to facilitate the flexibility of players to appear for different teams and to play at short notice.
Allow rearrangement of fixtures
to reduce the number
of concessions/cancellations
Promote
flexible start
times, reversing
fixtures, use
of third party
pitches and
non turf pitches
ECB Player Panel evidence demonstrates that as a minimum, over 50% of players support each element of this flexibility when the alternative is the game being cancelled. These options are especially popular with younger players (14-25).
Encourage clubs to work
together to ensure available
players get a game of cricket
The York and District Senior Cricket League introduced an open age player loan system to help get the game on. 61 players were loaned to clubs to ensure the game got played.
Games conceded reduced from
28 in 2013 to 16 in 2014.
Comms
Two-way communication with players – to ensure players have a strong voice in decision.
Use online scorecard completion,
ideally using
Play-Cricket.com
This ensures online recording of participation. This also includes the recording of scorecards onto systems that feed data into Play-Cricket.com.
Use social media
to communicate
directly with
players and clubs
about game day
factors
84%
The ECB Player Panel survey demonstrates that 84% of players require no more than 24 hours’ notice of a change to start time.
Regularly
consult
with players
Develop opportunities within clubs and leagues where the direct voting power is held by players.
Variety of Play
Varied playing opportunities – to ensure that cricket can fit around today’s busy lifestyles.
Provide and promote short format
cricket at weekends and/or midweek
66%
NCPS data shows that 66%
of players want to play more cricket.
Hampshire Cricket League held a 6-a-side competition in September involving teams from the Southern Electric Premier League and the Hampshire Cricket League, successfully providing an alternative shorter format of the game at the end of the season.
Offer U19 T20 to help retain young players. NCPS data shows that the availability of short format cricket is the factor most likely to bring back lapsed players.
Offer U19
T20 to help
retain young
players
Work with other
leagues to ensure
cricket is available in
April and September
Ensure that
women's cricket
is available
There is a need to offer
high quality options to
women and girls, where
there is demand.
75%
NCPS data shows that 75% of
women, compared to 65% of
men, want to play more cricket.
Thanks to all those leagues and individuals who are already making changes, big or small, to help #getthegameon.
The content of the blueprint has been developed from a number of sources including:
National Cricket Playing Survey 2013, 2014 and 2015
ECB Player Panels
Play-Cricket.com data
Get The Game On roadshows
Various ECB League Engagement programmes that have captured good practice