PLAYERS are being urged to have their say on the future of club cricket in Gloucestershire by taking part in the National Playing Survey.

From hardened league cricketers to occasional social players and youngsters (aged 14 and upwards), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) want to find out how much cricket is being played in the county and what can be done to improve it.

Steve Silk, Gloucestershire Cricket Board chief executive, said: “The National Playing Survey is your chance to change club cricket in Gloucestershire.

“If we don’t then we will lose players, which will lead to less fixtures being fulfilled and ultimately to clubs folding.

“Leagues realise that things can’t continue as they are and will be using the results from this survey to come up with new proposals for our clubs. From different formats and earlier start times to cutting down the amount of travelling, this is your opportunity to influence the way cricket is played in Gloucestershire.”

The results will support the ECB’s wider plans to invest more than £96 million into community cricket over the next four years survey. They could potentially have an impact on all club cricket in the county from the West of England Premier League (WEPL) to the Gloucestershire County Cricket League (GCCL) and its feeder leagues, the Bristol and District and all midweek and cup competitions.

To encourage more people to take the survey the GCB is offering clubs a number of incentives.

For every five people who respond from the same club, that club will get one entry into a draw that contains a range of prizes including; a £100 voucher for GCB courses (including coach education, umpiring, scoring and groundsmanship courses), a two hour team coaching session with a GCB performance coach, a germination sheet, free 2015 affiliation, a bag of Kwik Cricket equipment and 20 tickets to the Gloucestershire v Hampshire Royal London 50 over match at the County Ground on July 31.

In addition every player that takes part in the survey and supplies their email address will be given a free ticket for a Gloucestershire match and the ECB are offering clubs the chance to win one of six flat sheet covers up to the value of £350.

People have until July 17 to take the survey at www.ecb.co.uk/playingsurvey2014.