Cricket Victoria regional model survives sweeping cuts

It’s the contentious plan to rezone Melbourne cricket that never took off. But despite one Cricket Victoria official saying the blueprint was now “dead as a doornail” after a financial squeeze and job losses, the organisation says it has not been canned.

Cricket Victoria says the Melbourne Metropolitan Cricket strategy “is ongoing’’.

Even after a wave of staff cuts that hit community cricket and the under-age pathway, Cricket Victoria is pushing ahead with its contentious regional model for metropolitan cricket.

Six years ago, CV announced its blueprint for the future of local cricket, outlining zones for west, north, south, east and bayside.

It said it would try to have the model in place for 2016-17.

But there was immediate resistance, as well as outcry from the historic Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association, which faced being broken up and having its clubs placed in competitions within the zones.

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Subbies president Jack Sheehan declared the association would fight the proposal “tooth and nail’’.

CV listed the advantages as:

● playing region-based cricket to minimise travel for teams and maximise participation.

● having consistency in formats, rules and governance.

● working with councils to promote turf cricket.

● a promotion and relegation system to allow clubs to find their level of competition.

In 2016, Cricket Southern Bayside was formed out of disgruntled clubs from the Victorian Turf Cricket Association, with CV taking on the administration.

Disgruntled VTCA clubs formed Cricket Southern Bayside.

A year later, Cricket Victoria unveiled another significant step, bringing hard-wicket cricket into the equation and naming the zones as Cricket Northern Metro, Cricket North West, Cricket Southern Bayside, Cricket South East Metro and Cricket Eastern Metro.

It said it would employ a head of cricket for each zone as part of its “ongoing financial investment’’ in the model.

Launch: the Melbourne Metropolitan Cricket strategy was unveiled in 2017.

Cricket Victoria staff would be integrated into the regions with talent and coaching development and community cricket responsibilities, and there would be a local “home of cricket’’ to support administration and events.

Clubs would enjoy support for volunteers; access to coach development, talent ID and player development; licensing, sponsorship and supplier benefits; assistance with strategic planning; sustainable turf cricket competitions; and recognition of local history.

The model was supposed to be implemented in November, 2018.

But Cricket Southern Bayside remains the only region competition established under the Melbourne Metropolitan Cricket strategy.

A senior Cricket Victoria official last week declared the regions plans “as dead as a doornail’’.

“It never evolved. It never really happened, and now there’s no money for it,’’ the official said.

“There was always that argument about self-determination, as opposed to being told what to do by head office. If anyone thought it could still happen, it was buried a few weeks ago, because it was financially unsustainable.’’

But, responding to questions from Leader, a Cricket Victoria spokesman said the strategy was still being pursued.

“The Melbourne Metropolitan Cricket strategy work is ongoing,’’ the spokesman said.

“We’ve had good support for the principles of the strategy, but we respect that each association is at a different stage. It will continue to evolve as we consult with collaborative working groups on what works for them.

“It has not been canned.’’

Cricket Victoria shed 50 full-time staff – 36 per cent of the workforce – as well as a number of casual employees in sweeping cuts five weeks ago.

Fast-bowling great Cathryn Fitzpatrick and legendary Premier Cricket administrator Peter Binns were among the casualties.