Hyde Cricket Club forced to close due to Covid-19 case

Hyde Cricket Club has been forced to close with immediate effect, after it has emerged that an opposition player has tested positive for coronavirus.

All matches - at both junior and senior level - which were scheduled for Sunday (16 August) have been postponed. 

It follows a Romiley Under-19s player, who was involved in a match which took place at the Werneth Low based club on Thursday (13 August), contracting Covid-19. 

All of the players and coaches involved in the match will now get tested and self-isolate, in line with public health guidelines, in the meantime. Some of those players also went on to be involved in games for the senior teams on Saturday (15 August). 

The sudden closure means that next weekend's matches - as well as a summer camp and junior training sessions - are also set to be postponed, but the club say it hopes to reopen by Friday evening (21 August) if those tested receive negative results. 

'We have taken the hard decision to close the club to all' 

Confirming the news in a detailed statement, club secretary John Buckley, on behalf of the committee, said: "I'm sorry to report that the rest of this weekend's Cricket fixtures, Senior and Junior, have all been cancelled. This extends to next week's games, including the Summer Camp and Junior Training sessions.

"The reason is simple. An Under 19's player from Romiley, who took part in the match held at the club on Thursday, is confirmed to have contracted Covid 19.

"As such all the players and coaches involved in Thursday's match will today make arrangements to get tested and self isolate until the results are known.

"We will therefore review the current position once these results are in. If any of our players tests positive we will obviously let you know, and take the necessary measures to notify and protect anyone we feel may be affected through direct contact.

"On this theme please be advised that a number of the players from the Under 19's game also took part in senior games on Saturday, so we must all be extremely vigilant. We have an individual and collective responsibility to be socially sensible and compliant of government safety measures.

"Until we have the results of all those being tested this week, we have taken the hard decision to close the club to all, with immediate effect. I will notify you as soon as we re-open. 

"We obviously hope to have everyone tested, with negative results for all, in good time to re-open the club and fulfil next weekend's fixtures. We also hope to have all this in place so we can have Junior Practice at the normal time on Friday evening. Stay safe."