Sparsholt have welcomed the decision at the recent Southern Premier League’s annual meeting not to introduce the ‘white ball’ and coloured clothing element into 50-over Division 1 cricket next season.
The ten SPL1 clubs had been given the option to switch from traditional ‘red ball’ cricket and mirror the Premier Division by playing either the whole or part of the 2020 season in coloured kit, with black sight-screens and with a white ball.
But the idea didn’t catch on – so ‘red ball’ cricket will stay, certainly next summer.
Sparsholt chairman Andy Worth, whose side finished runners-up to champions Hook & Newnham Basicsin their inaugural season back in SPL1, said: “We are not against white ball cricket as a club.
“However, in today’s climate we have to be very careful where we spend our limited funds and looking at a cost of between £2k to 3k to do white ball properly with the impact on logistics is not something easily managed.
“We have a coloured kit currently for t20 which some might think can be transferred straight to ‘white ball’ cricket, unfortunately this is not the case as our coloured kit is only used 4 or 5 times a year and returned after each game.
“With ‘white ball’ cricket, players will want their own gear which we feel would need to be subsidised. “With nine clubs who have played Division 1 cricket over the last 3 to 4 years receiving some form of pitch warning, including Sparsholt, I certainly believe investment should be in the pitches, with perhaps some funded support from the league.
“We’ve invested heavily in our ground and are still paying the ECB for a loan for equipment but have seen massive benefits from this at our club in both players skill levels and recruitment. We’re not clear on whether white ball cricket would bring similar benefits.”
• Sparsholt’s Norman Edwards headquarters at Locks Lane topped the SPL1 Ground League table in 2019.
The ten SPL1 clubs had been given the option to switch from traditional ‘red ball’ cricket and mirror the Premier Division by playing either the whole or part of the 2020 season in coloured kit, with black sight-screens and with a white ball.
But the idea didn’t catch on – so ‘red ball’ cricket will stay, certainly next summer.
Sparsholt chairman Andy Worth, whose side finished runners-up to champions Hook & Newnham Basicsin their inaugural season back in SPL1, said: “We are not against white ball cricket as a club.
“However, in today’s climate we have to be very careful where we spend our limited funds and looking at a cost of between £2k to 3k to do white ball properly with the impact on logistics is not something easily managed.
“We have a coloured kit currently for t20 which some might think can be transferred straight to ‘white ball’ cricket, unfortunately this is not the case as our coloured kit is only used 4 or 5 times a year and returned after each game.
“With ‘white ball’ cricket, players will want their own gear which we feel would need to be subsidised. “With nine clubs who have played Division 1 cricket over the last 3 to 4 years receiving some form of pitch warning, including Sparsholt, I certainly believe investment should be in the pitches, with perhaps some funded support from the league.
“We’ve invested heavily in our ground and are still paying the ECB for a loan for equipment but have seen massive benefits from this at our club in both players skill levels and recruitment. We’re not clear on whether white ball cricket would bring similar benefits.”
• Sparsholt’s Norman Edwards headquarters at Locks Lane topped the SPL1 Ground League table in 2019.
