AB v England and Wales Cricket Board Limited and others (anonymity order)

County CourtAnonymity Order

Claim number: M01CF190

County Court at Cardiff
Cardiff Civil Justice Centre

26 October 2026

Before:

District Judge Evans

Between:

AB

-v-

England and Wales Cricket Board Limited (D1)
Cricket Wales Limited (D2)
HN sued on behalf of all members of the management board of the Local Club

Anonymity Order

Before District Judge Evans sitting at the County Court at Cardiff, Cardiff Civil Justice Centre, 2 Park Street, Cardiff, CF10 1ET.

UPON the application notice dated 11 February 2026

UPON CONSIDERING the Article 8 rights of the Claimant to respect for private and family life and the risk of harm that identification may cause to the Claimant, and to her family

AND UPON CONSIDERING the importance of open justice and the Article 10 right to freedom of expression

AND UPON CONSIDERING the Article 6, Article 8 and Article 10 rights of the Third Defendant

AND UPON THE COURT CONCLUDING that non-disclosure of the Claimant’s and Third Defendant’s identities is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice and in order to protect the Claimant’s interests

AND UPON THE COURT FURTHER CONCLUDING that it is necessary to make a reporting restriction order

AND UPON THE COURT FURTHER CONSIDERING the Claimant’s application dated 1 May 2026 to vary the Order of District Judge Davies of 18 February 2026

IT IS ORDERED THAT

  1. The Claimant in this matter is entitled to anonymity until further order. The Claimant’s name and address is to be withheld from the public in these proceedings and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in open court. There must be substituted for all purposes in this claim in place of references to the Claimant, whether orally or in writing, reference to “AB”. Any material tending to identify the Claimant, including the particulars specified in the attached Schedule, is to be withheld from the public in these proceedings and must not be disclosed in open court.
  2. The Claimant is not required to include in the Claim Form the address at which they live or carry on business and is permitted to include the address of their representatives.
  3. The Third Defendant’s name and the name of the club which he represents are to be withheld from the public in these proceedings and must not be disclosed in any proceedings in open court. There shall be substituted for all purposes in this claim in place of references by name to the Third Defendant, whether orally or in writing, reference to “HN”, and to the club, “the Local Club”.
  4. The Third Defendant is permitted to disclose the identity of the Claimant to the following individuals, who will remain subject to the anonymity order:
    a. Any member of the Local Club’s Management Board and any former member of the Management Board who held a position on the Board on or after the Claimant joined the Local Club;
    b. Any individual whom the Chair wishes to call as a witness of fact;
    c. Any individual whom the Third Defendant wishes to call as an expert witness;
    d. Any individual within the Third Defendant’s legal team and any insurer and/or funder (where applicable);
    e. The Third Defendant’s line manager, including anyone acting in that capacity, and any relevant member of the Third Defendant’s employer’s human resources department; and
    f. The Third Defendant’s wife.
  5. A non-party may not inspect or obtain a copy of any document from the court file other than this order (duly anonymised) without the permission of the Court. Any application for such permission must be made on notice to the parties.
  6. A non-party may not obtain any copy statement of case or other document from the Court file unless it has been edited (anonymised) in accordance with this Order.
  7. Pursuant to CPR 39.2(4) and s.11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, the publication or disclosure of the identity of the Claimant or the Third Defendant or of any material tending to identify the Claimant or the Third Defendant, including the particulars contained in the attached Schedule, shall be prohibited until further order of the Court.
  8. The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “An anonymity order was made in this case on 18 February 2026 and any application by a non-party to inspect or obtain a copy document from this file must be dealt with in accordance with the terms of that Order.”
  9. The Defendants or any non-party affected by this anonymity order may on 7 days’ notice apply to set it aside or vary it.
  10. The costs of and occasioned by obtaining the Order of District Judge Davies of 18 February 2026 shall be costs in the case. The Defendants’ costs of and occasioned by obtaining the application to vary that Order and/or obtaining this Order (including the costs of the hearing on 4 August 2026) shall be borne by the Claimant. Pursuant to CPR 46.7(1)(a) the Claimant must pay costs for the pro bono representation of the Third Defendant to the Access to Justice Foundation (The Access to Justice Foundation, 7 Bell Yard, London, WC2A 2JR).
  11. Pursuant to CPR 39.2(5) and the Practice Guidance: Publication of Privacy and Anonymity Orders dated 16 April 2019 a copy of this order (duly anonymised) shall be published on the Judicial Website of the High Court of Justice. For that purpose, a court officer will send a copy of the order by email to the Judicial Office.
  12. The Third Defendant’s application for permission to appeal against this Order is refused.

SCHEDULE TO THE ORDER

  1. Material tending to identify the Claimant prohibited from disclosure and publication by this Order includes the following:
    a) The Claimant’s name and address;
    b) The name and address of the Third Defendant;
    c) Any material tending to identify the Local Club, including the name of any current or former members of the Local Club;
    d) The names or addresses of the Claimant’s current or former employers;
    e) The names or addresses of the Claimant’s partner and children;
    f) The dates and details of any fixtures played by the Local Club’s teams or the names of any competitions participated in;
    g) Details of any positions of responsibility assumed by the Claimant in the Local Club.