Dorset Cricket Affiliation 2026 - NOW OPEN

The framework for club affiliation over the next 18 months will be implemented in two phases, allowing clubs time to adapt and prepare:

• Phase 1 (2026) - A transition year that focuses on preparing clubs for the new system. The priority is ensuring clubs understand and accept the conditions of affiliation and fundamental standards, with support from their Recreational Cricket Board.
• Phase 2 (2027 onwards): Affiliation will be evidence-based, requiring clubs to demonstrate documented compliance to achieve accredited status.

By 2027, ALL affiliated clubs will need to demonstrate compliance with basic affiliation requirements including:

• Signing the Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) of affiliation - signed copies were required to be returned in 2025, in 2026 this process will be completed on Play Cricket. After counties have confirmed the clubs that have completed their affiliation process on Play Cricket, the ECB will contact those clubs from early January onwards asking them to agree to the Affiliation T&Cs (copy of last years Affiliation T&Cs attached) 
• Being fully onboarded onto the Safe Hands Management System (SHMS) - all clubs have been given access to SHMS over the past couple of years
• Having a club constitution
• Having appropriate insurance cover
• Operating a bank account in the club's name
• Having a basic club structure with clearly defined key roles
• Holding an Annual General Meeting

When details are known of how the criteria can be evidenced to the ECB then this will be communicated here and to the clubs directly.

The ECB have provided a club affiliation toolkit that provides various resources to support clubs to achieve the criteria listed above, and can be accessed by CLICKING HERE

To affiliate in 2026 clubs will have to:

• Complete the Dorset Cricket Affiliation Form 2026
• Pay their required fees
• Sign the Affiliation T&Cs on Play Cricket when they are made available by the ECB in January 2026

Once a club has completed the Dorset Cricket Affiliation Form 2026 and paid the required fees, then this will be added to Play Cricket for the ECB to view. The ECB will then send an Affiliation T&Cs communication to the club through Play Cricket for them to agree to. Once the T&Cs have been agreed to then the club will be officially affiliated for 2026 and this will show on their play cricket page, as well as being communicated to us.

For more detailed information on the benefits of affiliation, the affiliation fees the affiliation process from 2026 onwards, and the resources available to support clubs to achieve the new evidence based affiliation process in 2027 please CLICK HERE

To complete the Dorset Cricket Affiliation Form 2026 please use the link below: