A new season? Not yet
Optimism fades as the world changes around us
March is normally the time of year where, as an amateur cricketer, you are feeling the anticipation rise, heading towards a new cricket season. We are emerging into Spring in the UK. This should be a time of new growth and optimism but that feels like it is a long way away right now. We are not unique; the globe faces unprecedented challenges as we come to grips with the Coronavirus pandemic. We are on the verge of a lockdown here in the UK, heading in the same direction as parts of China, South Korea, Italy and Spain.
We know that there will be disruption, likely to be significant, to the cricket season this year. We don’t know what that will look like yet. Best case scenario? A shortened season I think; how short I don’t know. But even if we do start, any recurring spike with the virus may close us down quickly again. It might be that 2020 just doesn’t happen, other than sporadic games if we are lucky and people are healthy.
The postponing of the start of the cricket season, along with similar sports and leisure activities suffering the same fate, may have profound impacts on people’s mental health. For many, sporting clubs are a vital part of their social life, routines and sense of belonging. It is no different for me. I hope that we can re-engage with sports, leisure and a broader social life as soon as is practical to help bring some normality back to life. All this is happening against a backdrop of significant economic harm which for me, makes the role of clubs, leisure and social activities more critical.
I was due to get a new bat this season; my current one fell apart in preseason nets. This feels like less of a priority now but I do hope I have a reason to get out and buy one soon. Perhaps, in the meantime, I can use my old bat to shadow bat in the garden as the weather improves. I know my hero growing up, Geoff Marsh, did this. And so does my namesake (and maybe marginally better batsman ;-)) Steve Smith. So perhaps that will be the secret to scoring some runs again when this is all over and we can walk out as a team again onto the cricket grounds of England. In the meantime lets, all stay safe, keep healthy and work together — at the cricket club and beyond — to keep the social fabric secure, ready for the season to start again, whenever that might be.
