Canada Day in Newfoundland – socially distanced team photo
Cricket in Canada is slowing emerging from its COVID enforced hibernation, but on a province by province basis. A quick review of provincial web sites and Facebook pages follows. As an aside the same review suggests that up to date news and information about cricket in Canada can be very hard to find!
BC (152 active cases of COVID-19): Cricket BC have issued return to play guidelines, but BCMCL regular season matches are cancelled for the year 2020. There appear to be plans for a T20 tournament/ schedule once permission to play is secured and all other measures are in place.
Alberta (547 active cases): There’s no clear news from either the Alberta Cricket Association or Council on return to play there. The Calgary and District league has announced a return to play in a highly modified form on their Facebook page, for this coming weekend.
Saskatchewan (88 active cases): no clear information on cricket’s status on the web (that we could find, anyway)
Manitoba (18 active cases): The league is well under way with three divisions active, playing 30 overs matches with modified conditions – website
Ontario (2052 active cases): Cricket in Toronto’s biggest leagues (Brampton and TDCA) remains suspended, with no clear re-start date. They are highly dependent on municipalities to obtain permission to play. However it seems that the privately owned grounds in Niagra are ready to go with a T20 competition scheduled for July 16.
Quebec (25,048 active cases): With a very high level of active cases, there is no surprise that cricket in Quebec remains in limbo.
NB (5 active cases): Cricket NB has not yet restarted, it seems, despite a low level of COVID cases.
PEI (no active cases): the first province to re-start, PEI cricket is flourishing with the summer league expanded to 6 teams, playing T20 cricket with weekend and weekday evening games – website
Newfoundland and Labrador (no active cases): Cricket re-started with two matches on Canada Day to mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of Cricket NL. The Cricket NL T20 league has expanded from 5 to 7 teams and starts play this weekend – web site
Nova Scotia (2 active cases): A high performance match was played on Canada Day, and the Halifax league got underway on 27 June.
It does seem that the Regional T20s supported by Cricket Canada are unlikely to happen, although the opening of a “travel bubble” within the Atlantic porvinces, does potentaily allow the four Atlantic provinces to play eachother (they normally compete with Quebec in the Eastern T20).