THE SOUTHERN Premier League is planning to launch a two-part 40-over red ball regionalised League Cup competition next month – if the government does a U-turn on its lockdown policy and gives the green light for recreational cricket to resume.

And Rowledge have already told the organisers they’re keen to take part.

Prime minister Boris Johnson is coming under increasing pressure to back down after his astonishing announcement in parliament on June 23 when he declared a cricket ball a ‘natural vector for disease’ and insisted the game had to stay under lockdown.

In the hope the decision is reversed some time soon, the Southern Premier League (SPL) has asked its 35 clubs whether they would be interested in playing competitive Saturday afternoon cricket, provisionally starting on July 18.

That would allow clubs two weeks to prepare their grounds, some of which may have been neglected during two months of inactivity.

Plans are to play Covid-secure 40-over 11-a-side matches on a regionalised league structure to reduce the need to travel, using only a home scorer and applying the existing points system.

The SPL plans to set up two leagues, combining the Premier Division and Division 1, and a separate competition for teams in Divisions 2 and 3.

Rowledge would expect to find themselves grouped with Basingstoke & North Hants and Hook & Newnham Basics, if the competition goes ahead.

But if there’s no change in government policy fairly soon, then the prospects of any recreational cricket this summer are slim indeed.