Is your cricket club adequately insured?

In partnership with Marshall Wooldridge, who run the ExtraCover Insurance scheme, The Cricketer take a look at various topics from the club game that highlight the importance of taking out the right insurance

It is no secret that house prices have risen. The cost of property a few decades ago is no longer an accurate representation of the market today.

Prices of buildings have risen steadily and now they are too high to handle. Buildings that have not been revalued recently may be at risk of not being fully protected, because their value has risen to a point where it far exceeds the insurance cover.

This problem also applies to cricket clubs and the insurance that they equip themselves with.

According to Mark Dearden, from ExtraCover Insurance, "one of the biggest problems facing sports clubs throughout the country is that buildings and property is underinsured.

"A pavilion might have been put up for £50,000 in the 1970s but in 2019 that might cost £250,000 to rebuild, yet the owners still have it insured for its value when it was built." Dearden explained.

This is a major issue that could have severe consequences if clubs aren’t proactive about updating their insurance cover.

East Molesey CC in Surrey are a club that have everything going for them. Their ground sits by the River Thames, just opposite Hampton Court Palace, and these picturesque surroundings are enjoyed by five Saturday teams as well as 600 children that are involved in their colts teams. There is a thriving social scene too, with both a café and a bar in the pavilion, which also plays host to several club events throughout the year.

Kieran Burge, treasurer at the club, describes the pavilion as, "fundamental to our club activities."

East Molesey is a thriving organisation with the pavilion its beating heart. The club committee realised this and addressed their insurance cover, having not had the building valued in several years.

"We used to have the pavilion valued at £200,000 and our insurance policy reflected that. This valuation was conducted before I was treasurer and I’ve been in the role for 10 years. We initially upped the value to £400,000 arbitrarily before getting it looked at by professionals. Following this we were told the pavilion was worth over £800,000.

"We immediately got in touch with ExtraCover Insurance and they updated our premium accordingly. The pavilion is now fully covered should anything happen to it.

"The conversation was triggered because a club nearby had their pavilion burnt down twice in two years. With our pavilion being wooden we thought it best to go through the proper processes to ensure our club is protected. This other club is only three miles away from us so if it’s possible for them it’s possible for us."

The importance of the pavilion to a cricket club cannot be understated. They are often the focal point of a club and this is the case at East Molesey.

"The pavilion gets used every day. There’s a café at one end for the public and inside we have the bar. Both bring in valuable funds that we need to keep the club running."

East Molesey can now be assured that if anything were to happen to their pavilion, the costs of rebuilding would be covered by ExtraCover Insurance.

Dearden is keen for other cricket clubs to follow the example of East Molesey.

"We strongly advise that a professional valuation be obtained every three to five years. More often than not, if you have a professional valuation your sum insured goes up fairly significantly."

Contact the dedicated ExtraCover Insurance team if you would like to get a quote or would like a review of your club cricket insurance

Call free on 0800 289301 to speak with Mark, Helen, or David or email extracover@marswool.com

Click here to make an enquiry, or here to visit the ExtraCover Insurance website