Southern District Cricket Club women’s players seek transfer to SACA Premier Cricket rival Adelaide

First it was a failed merger attempt, now two SA Premier Cricket clubs are at the centre of a transfer dispute over 22 female players.

A group of top tier SA female cricketers say they have been denied the right to play together amid a transfer dispute with their former club, Southern District.

The team’s 22 players lodged clearance requests in May to move from the Stingrays to rival Premier Cricket outfit Adelaide Cricket Club, following the collapse of a proposed merger between the two clubs in March.

But the transfers were refused by Southern – despite the club being directed to grant them by the SA Cricket Association last month – and the matter has been referred to an independent commissioner ahead of the season start in October.

22 female cricketers are attempting to move from Southern District to Adelaide Cricket Club, but the former is refusing to approve the clearances. Former Southern captain Jess O'Reilly, along with Kaylee Trenerry, Callie Wilson, Kelly Armstrong, and Jasmin Earl, at Glandore Oval. Picture: Dean Martin

Southern District claimed it had not approved the clearances because the players sought to transfer to a club that did not field women’s teams in the competition.

Adelaide does not hold a licence for a women’s side in SACA Premier Cricket.

Former Southern women’s captain and committee member Jess O’Reilly – part of the group attempting to move to the Buffalos – said the players were frustrated by the ongoing delays.

“The players maintain the right to choose which club they play at, they want to play together as a group and believe what’s best for their future lies at the Adelaide Cricket Club,” O’Reilly said.

“It’s been 12 weeks since the clearances were submitted and the delay has been having an impact on our players and we’re just waiting for people to see sense.

“Just let us play.”

O’Reilly said the Adelaide Cricket Club, which fielded female teams in the 90s, had applied for a licence to play in the first grade women’s competition for season 2021/22.

Southern District president Nigel Smart said the club did not stand in the way of clearing players to other teams.

But the two-time Adelaide Crows premiership player said a decision on the number of women’s licences in the competition needed to be made first.

Southern District Cricket Club president Nigel Smart. Picture: Tom Huntley

“Once the number of teams is decided by the governing body then the matter of clearances and the options are very clear for all parties – players, teams and all stakeholders,” said Smart, who took over as president in April.

“It is our belief, and the belief of many district teams in the competition, that you cannot operate or function if whole teams just wish to leave one club and play for another, especially when the destination team does not hold a license to compete in the competition.

“SDCC has cleared players to other women’s cricket teams recently in the competition, so if our players wish to be cleared to current teams in the women’s competition, we’re not standing in their way. They can change teams and we will clear them.”

Smart said the issue was about what was in the best interests of cricket, the players and the competition.

“We understand that the players and their families probably believe we’re blocking their wishes and it’s frustrating for all,” he said.

“We want all women to have access to a first-class cricketing system.”

Smart said the club planned to field two women’s teams in the competition for the upcoming campaign, as it did last season.

Southern District players celebrating after winning the first and second grand T20 titles in 2019.

Southern District’s refusal to approve the transfers was appealed by the players to SACA’s Premier Cricket Committee, which recommended that all the transfers be granted.

The club then appealed that decision.

In a statement to The Messenger, SACA said the matter has since been referred to an independent commissioner and an appeal process had begun.

In January, it was revealed Adelaide and Southern District proposed to merge.

It followed a months of secret negotiations between the two clubs sparked by an independent review into SA cricket by former star Australian batsman Mike Hussey.

However at special general meeting in March, Stingrays members voted to end talks with the Buffalos, effectively killing off the merger.

Several Southern District board members resigned as a result.

Following the Hussey review SACA said “it was determined to reduce its competition to 10 clubs to improve the standard of the first grade competition and produce more ready-made first-class players”.