The county season’s over which means no one should be playing cricket in England any more. It’s too cold. Stop trying to arrange a mid-October friendly, Gary! You’ll never get 11.

But there’s a hole in your life that you’re not quite sure how to fill. The trees are turning and the boiler’s probably on the blink. In amongst it all, how will you maintain your cricket fix this winter?

Hit the gym

Yeah, you might have played two or three times a week for the last few months, but the cricket season doesn’t exactly keep you in shape, does it? Or at least not a shape you actually want to keep in. So here are some suggestions:

Join a budget gym. Discover there’s no Jacuzzi or sauna. Join an expensive gym. Cancel your membership in a year’s time having paid an aggregate of £600 per visit.

Alternatively, if you’re serious about ‘making’ some ‘gains’, think cricket-specifics. Struggling with long innings in the heat? Wear a jumper and do some 20-yard sprint intervals. Can’t hit the ball off the square? Start with some core strength exercises. Feeling old and knackered after a long season? Well, remember that Jacuzzi…?

If you like something strategically taxing and highly time-consuming (and of course, you do) there’s a growing community enjoying online gaming and e-sports. The thrill of endeavour and competition without needing to leave the house. Of course, once you’re in gaming mode, it’d be silly not to try out the new Cricket Captain, wouldn’t it? Just, you know, to see? By 2019 you’ll know the world’s professional cricketers better than they know themselves.