Insurance: Play it safe with your cricket club

With over 700 cricket clubs on their books, Howden is well placed to offer insurance advice to those in recreational cricket.

The ECB’s approved broker offers a personalised service, carefully assessing each club’s circumstances.

In this article, there’s advice on getting insurance for the first time, renewing and what to look out for to ensure the correct cover.

ECB Central Insurance Scheme (CIS)

The first application for a cricket club’s insurance is done through the Safe Hands Management Portal, thereafter the cover is automatically renewed from 1 February.

The confirmation of cover emails should be sent to the Safeguard lead in mid to late January each year.

Property & personal accident cover

These are renewed annually after sums insured are reviewed.

Howden’s cricket club guide shows clubs the questions they need to ask of their insurance intermediary so grassroots clubs have all the cover they need, as policy wordings vary enormously.

We have seen others remove very necessary cover during seasonal closure – when unoccupied, they will not cover:

• Escape of water claims
• Theft damage to the buildings
• Storm damage
• Damage to sightscreens, covers, practice nets

This can give clubs huge self-insured exposures of which they are not aware, and cannot therefore fund.

In contrast, Howden have paid out in relation to storm losses for equipment costing £20,000, as well as escape of water claims from frozen pipes that exceed £60,000!

Clubs should also be on the lookout for insurers seeking to remove theft cover from outbuildings (where the club keep their machinery!)

A common theme in our articles is price versus cover for cricket clubs.

Of course, you want a competitive insurance quote and to save money where possible. But, if that comes at increased risk then it can’t possibly be worth it.

Under-insurance

Underinsurance is still rampant amongst clubs – professional insurance brokers are required to help their clients reach the right decisions on sums insured (particularly buildings).

Colin Mico, Head of Recreational Clubs for Howden Sport & Entertainment, says: “When we see a club for the first time, they are invariably underinsured for their buildings, and often have not insured all their assets. 

“Clubs are being caught out by the high rate of inflation that the construction industry suffered between 2019 and 2022 as a result of the increases of the cost of both materials and labour following Brexit & COVID.”

“Insured values have had to be revised upwards – dramatically in some cases – to bring them into line with current rebuilding costs to avoid the application of average when the clubs have a claim”. 

“Despite our best efforts to give the clubs the information that they need to meet their obligations of a Fair Presentation under Insurance Act 2015, we have found that they have received very little advice in many cases from other intermediaries.”

Download the Free Cricket Club Insurance Guide

This essential guide to your club’s insurance options advises on protecting everyone on and off the pitch. It looks at types of cover and questions to ask your existing insurer, if you’re not with Howden.

• Buildings and contents insurance
• Equipment out in the open
• Business interruption
• Public liability
• Cover for coaches, captains and officials

It is well worth a download to reference when you need it.

Need advice? Talk to Colin Mico’s team

Whether you’re already with Howden or assessing your club insurance ahead of renewal, chat with their club cricket specialists.

t: 01883 868521
e: [email protected]

🏏 Read about Howden’s cricket club insurance and get an online quote

This is a sponsored article for Howden – if the mood takes you, click to read Cricket Yorkshire’s policy on sponsored content.