Storm in a tea cup? English cricket league ditches sandwiches and sausage rolls

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The decision of the league, which describes itself as the biggest in the world with 140 clubs and 335 teams, has created a stir. (Twitter)

London - The Sussex Cricket League voted this week to discard the compulsory provision of meals

By AFP

Published: Tue 24 Nov 2020, 10:57 PM

Tea in the pavilion is as quintessentially English as the sound of leather on willow, but cricketers may now have to go hungry, with clubs no longer obliged to provide a mid-innings feast.

The Sussex Cricket League voted this week to discard the compulsory provision of meals, meaning sandwiches, sausage rolls and cakes could be off the menu.

Chairman Gary Stanley told BBC Sport the coronavirus pandemic meant everybody had to provide their own food in the shortened 2020 season.

“Lots of clubs, and this was proposed by six or seven of them, came to us and said ‘we want to propose that the obligation to provide teas for 2021 is removed’. This is only for 2021 — it can be changed for the following season,” he said.

“You quite frankly get some poor teas. I’m sure some clubs are annoyed by providing a great tea at home and a curled sandwich and a packet of value crisps away.”

The decision of the league, which describes itself as the biggest in the world with 140 clubs and 335 teams, has created a stir.

Forest Row Cricket Club said the move would encourage new players and would remove the “stigma of cucumber sandwiches and a little bit of cricket”.

But Horsted Keynes CC said they were disappointed.

“We will still be providing teas for our players at home games, and are happy to also provide for any opposition who are happy to reciprocate,” the club tweeted.

“In fact, we are working on a new pavlova recipe.”

Even former England Test captain Michael Vaughan weighed in.

“As if 2020 couldn’t get any worse .. hearing a cricket league down south is getting rid of the cricket tea tops the lot .. Utterly disgraceful decision,” he tweeted.