As the County Cricket season starts, spectators disappear again. Cummings at work?
Johnson refused point blank for a period to allow the return of recreational and indeed County cricket. A series of increasingly bizarre reasons were offered which concluded with a concern about teas in cricket pavilions.
Then he suddenly flip flopped and cricket returned including a game at the Oval where socially distanced spectators were allowed. All appears to have gone smoothly.
Then on 31st July he flip flopped again and spectators were again banned. This can be understood with a rise in COVID infections and certainly indoor spectators at the snooker or larger numbers at Goodwood racing might have been of concern.
Its difficult to see however given the space available at cricket grounds, all outdoor, what the specific issue is
The puzzle is what is really behind Johnson’s flip flops on cricket. My theory, which in keeping with the whole affair appeared fairly illogical in the Morning Star on 3rd July. In summary when it comes to cricket for Cummings, its personal and he’s in charge here.
The refusal of Boris Johnson to allow the return of grassroots cricket is a puzzle. After all Johnson is a cricketer himself, captaining in or playing in the annual Spectator v Lord Althorp game in Northamptonshire every June. However an account of the game played on June 25th 2016 just after the EU Referendum result may provide a clue. According to journalist Harry Mount, Johnson was meant to be at Dominic Cummings house in Islington sorting out his bid to be Tory leader in the light of David Cameron’s resignation. Instead he chose to play cricket and opted out of the contest. That delayed Cummings chance to wreck Britain by a full three years and possibly left him with a dislike of cricket too, the result of which we can now see.
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