This is part of the How to Run a Cricket Club series on PitchVision Academy

The games you play are the raison d'être of running a club. It's where, as an administrator, you get the most satisfied feeling watching your 11 men or women battle it out on the field.

But before they get out there - and even during the match - there is plenty to be done in the background.

Here is the PitchVision Academy rundown.

Arranging fixtures

You may play in a league, in tournaments, simple friendly matches or a combination of ways. However your team is structured, you need to make sure fixtures are in place.

Most clubs give fixture responsibility over to a specific fixture secretary who may have to manage the fixtures of a large number of sides. This is simple enough in a league or tournament structure where the organising body looks after the games.

Friendly matches are more difficult in that you will have to make direct contact with local teams to find an opponent. Often this takes a lot of calling to find a suitable opposition and time slot.

The take-home point here is that thinking ahead is crucial, and it's best left to a specific person who has that sole job within the club.

Selection

You could easily write an entire book on the process of selection at grass-roots level.

Structurally, if you have a choice to make, it's best to convene a committee of the most relevant people in you club that may include the captain, coach, manager and a non-playing senior member (as a neutral voice).

The group meet as often as needed, usually once a week, behind closed doors to flesh out the teams for the coming matches.

In many cases, also try and drum up some extra players!

If possible, make statistics available to help ease the decision making process. You can read more about some selection ideas here and here.

Matchday requirements

When you actually put on a game, there are things the administration need to consider,

• Food. Most games have some kind of a food break. If you have to organise teas, you will need a structure in place and someone responsible for making sure the food is ready come the break. Some clubs leave it up to the captains, others have a group of volunteers who handle the food requirements.
• Ground. If you are at home, there will be some degree of setting up. This varies between venues, but you need to be sure all the required facilities are in place from unlocking the doors and putting out chairs to making sure a pitch is prepared and marked.
• Transport. If you are playing an away match, it's important to consider the travel to the venue. One common problem is too many young players in the side without parental support and not enough transport as a result. If every player has a car this isn't an issue, but you might need to get creative if you look ahead at the fixture list and see that a problem might come up.
• Young player care The club has a duty to especially care for players under 18. In many cases clubs will have a welfare officer and strict policies in place for child protection. The captain/coach also has a responsibility to make sure that young players enjoy playing in a safe environment. All clubs should treat this a a priority for the growth of the game.

A point here on money. If fees need to be collected on the day it's vital for the treasurer that whoever is responsible uses the correct paperwork, especially when dealing with cash.

The hallmark of a well-run club is that match days go ahead with very little fuss. Like a swan gliding across the lake, you never see the legs working furiously under the surface. But those "legs" are good planning and clear responsibility allocated - and taken - early.