No crowds will be 'no issue' for Northants players says head coach Ripley

Northants regularly attract big crowds for T20 Blast fixtures at the County Ground. But it is expected this season's matches will be played behind closed doors

The 2020 professional domestic cricket campaign will finally start on August 1, with all 18 counties involved in the Bob Willis Trophy.

The season will start with four of the five group games in the first-class competition, before the T20 Blast kicks in at the end of the month, going into September.

There will definitely be no crowds allowed into cricket grounds for those initial fixtures as the country slowly gets back to normal following the coronavirus pandemic, but Ripley feels that won’t affect his players at all.

“I don’t think playing behind closed doors initially is going to be a real issue for us,” he said.

“We do have a very loyal supporter base at Northampton, but the four-day games we don’t get big crowds in.

“It will be a bit different if there are no crowds in for Blast games, when we can sometimes have 5,000 in for matches when there is something on it, but we will just have to deal with it.

“With or without crowds, the plans for matches and players won’t change and the games still have to be won.”

There have been encouraging noises coming out of Government that socially distanced crowds could be allowed in to some grounds as part of a ‘pilot programme’, and Northants and Ripley would be keen on that.

“The Blast has deliberately been scheduled for late August and September, in the hope that if regulations are eased and we can get some supporters into the ground then we will,” he said.

"I am not saying we are going to get full houses in, but we may get some spectators in and it would be really good if we could.

“It would be great for people to come into the ground and actually watch some live sport, and great for the players as well.”

The club is still waiting for confirmation of the fixture list for the truncated season from the England & Wales Cricket Board, but have been told that three of their five Bob Willis Trophy group games will be played at the County Ground.

There will also be five home group games in the T20 Blast.