The Herts Cricket League has announced the details of their big restart this weekend which include alterations to match rules.

Clubs were delighted to be back in action this week in friendly matches but competitive fixtures will see a slightly different look to normal.

For a start there will be no play-offs or promotion or relegation and games in the Premier Division and Championship will all be played over 45 overs and not timed or 50-over games.

They will start at 12pm except for the final two weekends of the season, set for September 5 and 12, where matches will begin at 11.30am and 11am respectively.

Close of play on those days will be either 7pm or 6.30pm with 7.30pm the cut-off for every other match.

Noon will also be the start time for matches between Division One and Division Six B while regional division games, which will be played as 40-overs-per-side, should begin at 1pm except for the final two weekends.

The interval between innings will be just 20 minutes and there will be no tea provided. Players are asked to bring their own.

Hygiene breaks will be taken every 20 minutes or six overs, whichever occurs first, and will last for a maximum of five minutes. This is to allow the ball to be cleaned with an antimicrobial wipe while hand sanitiser should be used by all the players.

This should also be followed at the start of any drinks break or the close of an innings.

Other rules have been put in place to try and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Changing rooms and showers will remain closed but gazebos or something similar are encouraged.

Players are advised to bring their own sanitiser and drinks but disposable gloves should be provided, especially if scorers are to change during a contest, the sight screen needs to be moved or when the stumps are positioned.

Each bowler is required to bring their own cloth to dry the ball in wet conditions and no sweat or saliva is to be applied to the ball at any time.

Off the field team sheets will be swapped prior to play beginning with the lists kept for a minimum of 28 days to allow for potential contact tracing.

Any matches that can’t be fulfilled due to problems with the availability of the ground or players, whether COVID-19 related or not, could be rearranged for another day, preferably the Sunday of the same weekend.

The registration cut-off for new players or transfers between won’t apply this season.

Penalties for not supplying a registered umpire or “competent scorer” are removed.

A spokesman for the league said on their website: “We sincerely hope that we can not only salvage a competitive season from the wreckage caused by this virus but show that in adversity we can still make progress.

“To that end while we will not be offering prize money for divisional winners we will continue what we began last season and ask clubs to pick their most hospitable opponents in their division at the end of the season.

“This year a club that goes the extra mile to make their visitors feel welcome and safe and looked after will deserve to be recognised by their peers and we intend to award each such club a prize of £100 which may go some way to help towards the extra costs they will have incurred.”

Cricket

Fixtures, Herts Cricket League, Saturday (July 18)

Premier Division: Harpenden v Potters Bar; Hoddesdon v West Herts; North Mymms v Radlett; Reed v Totteridge Millhillians; WGC v Hertford.

Championship: Flitwick v Hemel Hempstead; Letchworth GC v Dunstable; Luton Town & Indians v Langleybury; Old Owens v Bishop’s Stortford; Shenley Village v Preston.

Division One: Ampthill Town v Hitchin; Broxbourne v Harpenden II; Holtwhites Trinibis v Ickleford; Old Albanian v Sawbridgeworth; St Margaretsbury v Leverstock Green.

Division Two A: Bushey v Redbourn; Chorleywood v Knebworth Park; Kings Langley v St Albans; Stevenage v Berkhamsted; Watford Town v Abbots Langley.

Division Two B: Allenburys & County Hall v Hoddesdon II; Hertford II v WGC II; Northwood v Old Elizabethans; Potters Bar II v Northchurch; Radlett II v Flitwick II.

Division Three A: Dunstable II v Letchworth II; Eversholt v Datchworth; North Enfield v Chipperfield Clarendon; Parkfield & Headstone v Potton Town; Totteridge Millhillians II v Luton Town & Indians II.

Division Three B: Bayford & Hertford v Reed II; Harpenden III v Cockfosters; Hemel Hempstead II v Southgate Adelaide; West Herts II v Lutonian; Wheathampstead v Sandridge.

Division Four A: Bishop’s Stortford II v Hatfield & Crusaders; Langleybury II v Old Finchleians; Leverstock Green II v Old Haberdashers; Northwood Town v Watford Town II; Rickmansworth v Cheshunt Rosedale.

Division Four B: Flamstead v Holtwhites Trinibis II; Hatfield Hyde v Chorleywood II; Hitchin II v Ampthill Town II; London Colney v Stevenage II; Northampton Exiles v Shenley Village II.

Division Five A: Ickleford II v Frogmore; Knebworth Park II v Bentley Heath; Old Camdenians v North Mymms II; Radlett III v Hertford III; St Albans II v Tewin.

Division Five B: Baldock v Broxbourne II; Mill Hill Village v Boxmoor; Redbourn II v Hertingfordbury; Sawbridgeworth II v Old Albanian II; WGC III v Luton Town & Indians III.

Division Six A: Berkhamsted II v Hemel Hempstead III; Letchworth III v Clifton; Old Cholmeleians v Bushey II; Old Finchleians II v Northwood II; Preston II v Radlett IV.

Division Six B: Abbots Langley II v Watton-at-Stone; Cheshunt Rosedale II v Rickmansworth II; Hatfield & Crusaders II v Allenburys & County Hall II; Old Elizabethans II v Potters Bar III; Potten End v Greenwood Park.

Division Seven A: Cockfosters II v Botany Bay; Datchworth II v Northwood Town II; Flitwick III v Old Owens II; Pirton v Stevenage III; Weston v St Margaretsbury II.

Division Seven B: Harpenden Dolphins v Kings Langley II; Northchurch II v Northampton Exiles II; Offley & Stopsley v Hatch End; Southgate Adelaide II v Shenley Village III; Ware v Bovingdon.

Division Eight A: Aldenham v Harpenden IV; Chipperfield Clarendon II v Wheathampstead II; Little Berkhamsted Sahibs v Old Cholmeleians II; Luton Town & Indians IV v Pinner; Lutonian II v St Albans III.

Division Eight B: Dunstable III v Totteridge Millhillians III; Mill Hill Village II v Leverstock Green III; Old Minchendenians v Baldock II; Redbourn III v Old Albanian III; West Herts III v Watford Town III.

Division Nine A: Bentley Heath II v Hatfield Hyde II; Hemel Hempstead IV v Hoddesdon III; Hitchin III v Knebworth Park III; Langleybury III v WGC IV; Sandridge II v Southgate Compton.

Division Nine B: Boxmoor II v Cheshunt Rosedale III; Bushey III v Preston III; Great Gaddesden v Bayford & Hertford II; Hertford IV v London Colney II; Stevenage IV v Old Eastcotians.

Division Ten A: Harpenden V v West Herts IV; Holtwhites Trinibis III v Rickmansworth III; Northwood III v Reed III; Old Haberdashers II v Bamville; Pinner II v Letchworth IV.

Division Ten B: Chorleywood III v Mill Hill Village III; Frogmore II v Flamstead II; Hoddesdon IV v North Enfield II; Old Elizabethans III v Parkfield & Headstone II; Preston IV v Northampton Exiles III.