In most test countries there is a vigorous club cricket scene usually organised on a regional basis into league and cup competitions. Mostly this sector is integrated into the regional cricket boards that also run first class cricket and the clubs act as feeders to the first class teams.
    In general almost all the club cricket is highly competitive and it is unusual for players to continue much beyond their early thirties unless they have made it at international and first class level as well. The exceptions tend to be those who continue in the sport as full time coaches.
   This is in stark contrast to the British Isles, Europe and most developing cricket countries where it is usuall for club players to continue into their fifties and way beyond finding their own comfortable level in competitive cricket or joining non competition and/or wandering clubs. This difference between the British format and elsewhere has serious implications in terms of ICC Development strategy.
    Those with a UK background see the encouragement of a strong social club cricket sector as fundamental to the lasting establishment of the sport as a serious minority recreational pastime. Others see the existance of clubs and local facilities as solely existing to suppply ever better quality players for an improving national side to succeed in international competition.
    Both strategies can live together for mutually beneficial goals but just as equally may be polls apart. There are many in UK who consider that ECB has only the most superficial of understanding of club cricket and is continuously funding the financially destitute First Class Counties rather than investing in the club cricket sector, its facilities,youth sections and coaches.
    In most other test countries club cricket and schools cricket is integrated within state,province and county cricket association and both the grass roots and the game at large is  much the better for it.
    There remains a glaring gaping whole in all ICC development stategies namely any promtion of club cricket and its virtues cricket and communitywise. This reflect the dominance of the Asian lobby within ICC who tend to have no experience nor concept of club cricket.
    In UK the use of the word  'Recreational' by ECB to encompass   Club Cricket is misleading and sterile. the failure of the two regional Club Cricket Conferences and the the League Cricket Confernce to pull their weight within ECB and the wider sports world is most unfortunate.