RECREATIONAL cricket has been given the go-ahead to recommence next weekend, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed this evening.

The ECB has previously aimed to bring back the club game "on or around July 4", the date of pubs, restaurants, cinemas, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and other facilities reopening following the coronavirus pandemic.

However, there was doubt that this could happen, especially when prime minister Boris Johnson described the humble cricket ball as a "vector of disease".

A way forward has now been found, with this evening's tweets from the ECB reading as follows:

"The ECB has today had positive discussions with Oliver Dowden [secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] about the return of recreational cricket, with groups of more than six able to gather. We remain optimistic that we will have positive news to share in the not too distant future.

"Our chief executive, Tom Harrison, set out how important the recreational game is for communities across the country, and the vital role our sport plays in keeping people healthy."

Those tweets were then followed by a third one:

"We are delighted that the UK Government have given their permission for recreational cricket to return from next weekend. We will shortly be publishing our approved guidelines to help clubs and players prepare for cricket's return."