CLUB STATEMENT: Hardball Team

It is with great regret that the club’s committee has taken the decision to cancel most of the hardball team's fixtures for the first part of the 2025 season.

Unfortunately this decision has become necessary due to the lack of hardball players currently at the club and injuries/illness to members of our core squad.

While it was sometimes challenging to put out full teams last season, we were usually able to field some kind of team. However, a number of players who regularly played hardball in 2024 are currently unavailable or have opted only to play softball this year as they feel it better suits their current ability level. In addition to this, the club has found it difficult to recruit new members despite our best efforts.

With the season due to start in less than two weeks, the club felt it necessary to make a decision early out of respect to our opposition. One option was to aim to start the season and to decide on a week-by-week basis whether fixtures were viable, but we felt this would lead to late cancellations and would leave our opponents without a game. Taking an advance decision at least allows them to find alternative fixtures.

While the decision has been based on numbers, the committee was also mindful of other factors, including players’ ability levels and the absence of a friendly cricket culture locally that can be tapped into.

Withdrawing the provision of hardball cricket, albeit on a partial and temporary basis, is not something we would have wanted to do. We exist to provide cricketing opportunities for all and, without the hardball team, our scope for doing this is reduced. However, in the circumstances, we feel there is no realistic alternative open to us. We hope to be in a position to offer regular hardball cricket in 2026. Games that we hope to be able to fulfil are: 11th May v University of Liverpool women 22nd June v Wavertree Visually Impaired Team 12th August v Ormskirk Occasionals (T20) 25th August v Frodsham

TBC v Wavertree (T20)

We may be able to add more matches to the schedule as the season progresses.

Outdoor nets will begin on Wednesday 4th June at Wavertree Cricket Club, 8-9pm.