The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have today extended the postponement of professional cricket until at least 1 July due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision, which extends the current 28 May suspension, will result in a revised schedule, with both traditional four-day and short-format cricket planned towards the end of the summer.
The Vitality Blast, in which Derbyshire reached a maiden Finals Day last year, will be put back as late in the season as possible, to give it the best opportunity of being staged.
The season remains subject to ongoing advice from government and health experts, and continued consultation with all broadcast partners to determine the optimum way to fulfil fixtures both domestically and internationally.
Chief Executive of Derbyshire County Cricket Club, Ryan Duckett, said:
“The ECB have taken extensive guidance when making this decision and made it clear that the safety of the wider society must come before sport and cricket will return once it is safe to do so.
“Across the game, all counties are working with the ECB to reduce the impact of coronavirus on the season and to maximise whatever cricket we are able to host.
“While it is bitterly disappointing to lose nine rounds of County Championship cricket, it is not safe to stage cricket at this time and should we be able to do so later in the season, we must prioritise the most profitable formats in order to protect the future of the whole of county cricket.
“I would like to thank our Members – who joined us for a first virtual Members’ Forum last week – for their support of the club’s plans to mitigate against these unprecedented circumstances.
“I would also like to thank our supporters, sponsors and stakeholders for their understanding, and we hope to be able to welcome them back to The Incora County Ground later this summer.”
Derbyshire County Cricket Club will continue to communicate all updates to its Members and supporters via derbyshireccc.com.
Tickets
Tickets for all original fixtures are now off sale.
Once the revised fixtures are confirmed, tickets will go on sale at 9am the following day, online at derbyshireccc.com.
Tickets purchased for the original fixture dates will remain valid and if you are able to attend, you do not need to do anything else. Depending on your chosen method, we will post printed tickets to you, or re-send e-tickets nearer the fixture date.
Alternatively, if you are unable to attend the revised fixture date, you will be able to apply for a full refund. Please note that refunds are not available until the revised fixtures have been published.
For more information, please email [email protected].
