Vinny Sandhu with six takeaways from his interactive European Cricket Studio Live Show (Episode 18) on Facebook Live.

European Cricket Studio - TAKE 6 with Mr Maximo

It has been yet another exciting week in the Studio after bringing our shows to Facebook Live. The European Cricket page has in excess of half a million followers on Facebook, so showcasing our shows on this platform is a significant development. Join us for the rest of May by following the @europeancricket Facebook Page. Shows are Mondays and Thursdays at 9pm Central European Time (7pm GMT, 12:30am India). In a new and exciting twist, you even have the opportunity to be interviewed in our virtual studio, simply by following a short link which we make available once the show commences. It’s so EASY! Join us!

1. Keep calm, cricket is coming ever closer.

We heard from German cricket CEO Brian Mantle that plans are already well underway for cricket to return to the continent in some form, perhaps as soon as next month. Of course, cricket will not be recommencing until it is deemed safe to do so. And when it does, there may be some very unusual regulations designed to minimise the risks associated with COVID-19 transmission between participants. Which brings us to…

2. Possible COVID-era playing conditions.

It is painfully obvious that players all across Europe and around the world want to get back to playing cricket. But in order for cricket to be acceptable, the games must be modified to some degree to adhere with the relevant governmental policies regarding things like social distancing and equipment sharing recommendations. We discussed the possibility of special playing conditions including minimum five metre distances between fielders, how often a ball might be disinfected, and even wicketkeepers having to stand back to spin bowlers! At training, players may not be allowed to share balls so would have to keep their own at all times. File all of the above under “things I didn’t think I’d see in my lifetime.”

3. 1 + 1 = Fun.

We also launched the new “1&1” segment, where anybody watching the broadcast has the opportunity to join us LIVE ON CAMERA! in the virtual studio to ask the host one question and face one in return. You never know who might pop up!  We got surprise appearances from Max O’Dowd (ECL19 Player of the tournament) and English cricket writer, Annie Chave. I asked Max if he thought his batting partner robbed him of a hundred in the final by hogging the strike, while Annie and I discussed some cricket autobiographies. She was reading Robin Smith’s The Judge. Being a gloveman myself, I loved True Colours: My Life by Adam Gilchrist. My all-time favourite though has to be Jack Russell Unleashed, an illustration of why everybody thinks keepers are a bit odd. What’s so great about “1&1” is that absolutely anybody can join the show, whether they are an ECL personality or just a casual viewer.

4. Cricksplaining = Cricket + Explaining

“Cricksplaining” is our new segment where we introduce cricket terms or rules that you may not be aware of if you are new to the game. I gave a cricksplanation about Law 35 (Hit Wicket), which is an unusual and sometimes downright bizarre way to get out. Protect your stumps, they’re valuable!

5. Weird and Wacky Dismissals.

I took viewers on a journey through some of the most unusual dismissals ever captured on film.  We saw bats flying in the air, helmets being knocked off heads and some comically poor balance from one particular Pakistani batsman. Who doesn’t love a good highlights package?

6. Win on the European Cricket Quiz every week!

We love rewarding our community at European Cricket, so it was a pleasure to award this week’s PAYNTR cricket boots to lucky quiz winner, Giles Jameson from the UK. Every week you have a chance to win, simply go to www.ecn.cricket/european-cricket-quiz and answer six simple questions. All the answers can be found on the ecn.cricket website, or by watching the latest European Cricket Studio shows. The quiz opens 6am CET on Friday and closes 6pm Sunday, so don’t miss out!  Thanks as always to PAYNTR for providing the magnificent weekly prize. PAYNTR remain proud supporters of European Cricket!

Catch up on the last episode here….

Make sure you follow the @europeancricket Facebook Page for our European Cricket Studio live shows on Mondays and Thursdays in May from 9pm CET (7pm GMT, 12:30am India).