GCA has announced new rounds for T20 competition in 2023

The GCA has finalised the inaugural T20 competition draw after persistent rain caused multiple delays to the tournament. Find out when it starts here.

Cricket GCA1: South Barwon v Lara South Barwon bowler Bryson Nicholls and team mates celebrate getting the wicket of Lara batsman Ed Kol Picture: Mark Wilson

THE GEELONG Cricket Association has finalised the inaugural cross-division T20 draw after multiple delays to the competition.

Persistent rain throughout October and November meant the competition didn’t get a start and it was pushed back to the new year, but the GCA has organised new dates for the knockout tournament.

CHECK OUT THE ROUND 1 FIXTURE BELOW

The first round of the Tuesday competition will be held on January 17, with round two on January 31, round three on February 14 before the semi final on February 21 and the final a week later.

GCA president Rob Vines said there were “some concerns” over whether the tournament would go ahead at all this summer.

“We’ve had a couple of tries at getting this right, because of the weather,” he said.

Cricket GCA1: South Barwon v Lara Lara batsman Ed Kol Picture: Mark Wilson

“There was certainly some conjecture around whether we’d get to play it, and we actually went out to the clubs to see how they felt about it.

“We asked them whether they’d be comfortable with the rescheduled fixture and an overwhelming majority said they were happy to still play the games.

“The fixture hasn’t changed, the round one is still the same, there was no need to change that.”

There is still one case of a GCA4 team hosting opponents from GCA1 in round 1, with Teesdale set to play St Joseph’s in the opening round of the competition.

Vines said the location of the final - set to be played on Tuesday, February 28, between rounds 13 and 14 of the regular GCA competition - had not been decided.

“We’re still yet to select a venue for a final, that is a decision that is yet to be made,” he said.

“We don’t know if the home team will host, I suspect not and we’ll have a neutral ground, but again that’s a decision we haven’t made.

“Normally we play grand finals at a neutral venue, but we’ll see how it plays out.”

GCA T20 Cup round 1 fixture

Tuesday, January 17. All games are knockout.

Waurn Ponds-Deakin v Manifold Heights

Teesdale v St Joseph’s

Alexander Thomson v Bannockburn

Murgheboluc v South Barwon

Leopold v St Peters

Lethbridge v Guild-St Mary’s

Little River v Newcomb & District

Meredith v Bell Park

Bell Post Hill v Newtown & Chilwell

North Geelong v Grovedale

Geelong City v Highton

Torquay v Lara

St Albans Breakwater v Marshall

Thomson v Geelong West

North Shore v Corio

Modewarre v East Belmont

Originally published as GCA has announced new rounds for T20 competition in 2023