Cricket legends go in to bat for kids to stop Port Adelaide Enfield Council bid to ban hard balls

ADVERTISER readers have overwhelmingly rejected a plan by some Port Adelaide Enfield councillors to ban hard balls from its cricket nets and parks — unless the whole area is pre-booked.

19/4/16 Billy Mair 5, Brad Packham 11and Brody Mair 11 in their cricket gear at the nets of Largs Bay Reserve. Picture by Matt Turner.

• Rebecca Baker: Councillors need to get some balls

ADVERTISER readers have overwhelmingly rejected a plan by some Port Adelaide Enfield councillors to ban hard balls from its cricket nets and parks — unless the whole area is pre-booked.

The story, reported exclusively on the front page of today’s Advertiser and Portside Messenger, has attracted hundreds of comments on our website and Facebook page, with many readers slamming the plan as nanny state paranoia gone mad.

An Advertiser.com.au poll shows approximately 92 per cent of nearly 1000 respondents oppose the idea (vote in the poll below).

Under a motion by Cr Mark Basham, casual players would be banned from using cricket balls, both in and out of the nets, at any park in the district — unless they booked the entire park first.

Councillors voted at last week’s meeting to look into the idea, which included installing signage at parks with cricket nets telling people to use tennis balls instead of cricket balls.

“By their logic we should ban crowds at T20 matches as increased chance of being hit by a hard ball,” reader Stuart wrote in the story’s comments section.

“This is becoming more typical of absolute dumbfounding and garbage decisions made by Port Adelaide Enfield Council.”

Rick accused the council of having too many elected members who “dream up these pointless ideas”.

“How embarrassing for the people of Enfield to have anyone even think this,” he wrote.

Greg suggested the council could provide the public with “cotton wool balls”, to help keep them safe from harm.

Paul said: “Just mandate helmets for pedestrians and register cricket balls or, more seriously, ban fools from councils for society’s good”.

Maxine also joked people should be made to wear helmets when they step outside.

“No more risk of being hit by balls, frisbees, or being attacked by maggies,” she said.

Dean questioned the booking plan, asking “how many four 11-year-olds know how to book the nets?”

The idea was also criticised by members of the government with Lee MP and Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan calling it a “ridiculous proposal”.

What a ridiculous proposal. No wonder suburban cricket clubs are struggling for players with rubbish like this https://t.co/AXm4jy0oVq

— Stephen Mullighan MP (@SMullighan) April 19, 2016

“No wonder suburban cricket clubs are struggling for players with rubbish like this,” Mr Mullighan tweeted.

The council issued a response to the story on its website saying the banning of “hard cricket balls” was still up in the air.

“This review was requested due to safety concerns for other reserve users in the vicinity of the nets,” the statement said.

“It should be reiterated that no decision on banning hard balls has actually been made at this stage.”

Sportsbet is offering odds of $1.75 if the ban is scrapped, with odds of $2.00 if the ban gets the green light.

Calls for a report into the issue stemmed from fears passers-by might be injured by a cricket ball.

One councillor said the risk was so dire that “someone will die”.

But the sudden safety concern has cricketers stumped and legendary sporting commentator and former cricketer KG Cunningham outraged.

“What’s wrong with young people out there using a hard ball? Just put up signs saying ‘hard ball in use, beware’,” the former state batsman said yesterday.

Cr Basham told the council that “there has been an increased usage of the (cricket) nets by casual users and a lot of it is during non-cricket season” .

“It’s nanny state, but we have to advise people of the danger because the culture I grew up in was you didn’t use a hard ball around people that weren’t expecting it,” he said.

“If you are an innocent passer-by who has every right to use that facility and a stray ball whacks you on the back of the skull people sue the council.”

The council was asked if it had ever received any formal complaints from members of the public hit by a cricket ball, and the cost of hiring a reserve, but there’s been no response to date.

The cricket nets at Largs North Oval with homes far beyond the oval. Picture: Stephen Laffer

Enfield Ward councillor Carol Martin backed the push, saying flying cricket balls often hit non-cricketers.

“Someone will die. There will be a serious accident or a conflict between people ... so there are serious issues,” she said.

The council will consider a report into the issue at next month’s council meeting.

A perplexed Cunningham says Big Bash spectators at Adelaide Oval were at greater risk of cricket ball injury and that the councillor’s safety concerns went way too far.

“We’re just over-protective,” he said.

“What’s wrong with young people out there using a hard ball? Just put up signs saying ‘hard ball in use, beware’.

“Surely people can see for themselves there’s kids are playing there. Just go down to the other end of the ground.

“If they’re that worried, just stay away from the nets. How hard is it?”

Retired Test cricketer Wayne Phillips said the chance of injuring a passer-by while playing cricket was “fairly remote”.

“We are trying to encourage people to enjoy the game and play the game and use a ball and you’d hope most people use common sense,” he said.

Opposing the plan, Port Adelaide ward councillor Ray Guscott said it would hinder the development of young players.

“It’s a bit like saying we should only be using rubber goals in case footballers run into them,” Cr Guscott said.

Enfield ward councillor Michael Iammarone said that “you could be stopping the next great leg-spinner because great sportsmen don’t always come from structured settings”.

The council’s chief executive, Mark Withers, reminded the council cricket nets were designed “to play cricket in”.

Port Districts Cricket Club president Simon Maddern said it was “a bit of a shame that people cannot be active when they want to be active”.

“If a player is trying to improve their cricketing performance, a red cricket ball would be more beneficial for them,” he said.

Junior cricketer Brody Mair, 11, and his friend Brad Packham, 11, regularly use the cricket nets near their house at Largs Bay Reserve.

“I’d be upset if they did that,” Brody said.

“It’s fun to play with my friends and family on the oval and in the nets.”