The ECB have published the results of the National Playing Survey and there’s no surprise really in some of the findings – shorter game times, challenges with school matches in the morning, lack of cricket on terrestrial TV etc. However one stand-out finding was the shortage of left-handers playing the game. There’s been some great left-handers down the years, and certainly the impact they can have when you have a left and right handing batting partnership by simply disrupting the bowlers rhythm can at times be devastating.

To combat this, the ECB have issued a directive that ALL clubs must encourage greater participation for left handers in such that (for 1st XI cricket only) and have at least three left handed players in their XI by 2020. This directive will be delivered in a phased manner meaning that in the 2018 season each 1st XI must contain (at least) one left hander, two players in 2019 and then the full quota of three left handed players in 2020.