Blackpool CC captain is ready for a different kind of cricket season

The coronavirus pandemic has meant a three-month delay to the 2020 campaign, as well as a change in what cricketers are used to.

For a start, there will be no title at stake this year as well as a lack of promotion and relegation between the Northern Premier Cricket League and Moore and Smalley Palace Shield.

Both leagues are taking a break this year with a new 40-over competition in their place, running until mid-September.

Localised round-robin leagues will be held with Blackpool coming up against Fleetwood, St Annes, Palace Shield outfit Thornton Cleveleys and Liverpool Competition club Lytham in their group.

Blackpool host St Annes this afternoon, Fleetwood travel to Thornton Cleveleys and, given the odd number of teams in the group, Lytham have the day off.

“It’s better than not having any cricket altogether,” Danson said of the new competition.

“We’d normally have four teams out on a Saturday anyway but, for this competition, we have three Saturday sides out.

“I think everybody who said they’d be available will get a game and we want to do well.

“We want to win, we want to progress but we also want to enjoy it.”

As well as a different format, there are also new guidelines for clubs to follow and ensure that matches are played in as safe an environment as possible.

Players must remain socially distanced at all times on the field, they must clean their hands at all breaks in play and every six overs, while batsmen will have to run within marked lines.

“That’s going to take some getting used to,” Danson said.

“Bowlers aren’t supposed to give their jumpers to the umpires, they aren’t allowed to polish the ball with sweat or saliva, we’ve got to turn up in our whites.

“If we go on and off for drizzle, there’s no chance of having a shower in the changing room.

“If we have a game where we’re on and off because of rain, we’re going to be wet through but we can’t dry ourselves or the ball, so there are all these things to remember.”