Father-son cricket team booted out of finals over rule breach

Mentone’s father-son cricket team has been stripped of points and dropped out of finals over a mix-up involving former Premier Cricket star Neil Schlittler.

Mentone Cricket Club’s father-son team.

A father-son suburban cricket team has been booted out of the finals over a rules mix-up involving a former Victorian Premier Cricket star.

Mentone Cricket Club’s Fifth XI was stripped of 11 points and dropped from second to fifth on the ladder in a one-day Sunday section of Cricket Southern Bayside.

The loss of points related to former Prahran captain Neil “The Hurry Master’’ Schlittler playing three matches for Ormond seconds in Sub-District cricket.

The club had an appeal hearing on Friday night but lost.

Schlittler said he agreed to fill in for his former club when Covid depleted its numbers.

He said Ormond had believed it would not affect his playing status with Mentone in Cricket Southern Bayside.

However CSB rules state that a player cannot drop back from a higher grade of cricket to play in the Sunday one-day competition.

Schlittler said his appearances with the Monders had apparently made him an “elite’’ player.

“Which is funny because I’m 45 and field with my feet!’’ Schlittler said.

“I can’t walk for five days after I bowl two overs.’’

He said his only intention this season had been to play with his son William at Mentone, which runs a Sunday side for fathers and their 12 and 13-year-old sons.

Neil “The Hurry Master’’ Schlittler on the attack for Prahran.

It has eight father-son combinations, and captain Dave Kinsella said the priority was on helping the boys and having fun.

“The kids are devastated they won’t be able to play in the finals,’’ Kinsella said this morning.

Kinsella said he believed Cricket Southern Bayside knew weeks ago about the situation with Schlittler but didn’t tell Mentone.

He said if it had, Schlittler would not have been selected and the loss of points would have been avoided.

It’s believed another club complained about Schlittler playing in two competitions in two days.

Kinsella said Mentone didn’t check the eligibility rule and probably should have but ultimately the sons in the team would be left to pay a “harsh penalty’’.

He said telling the youngsters they wouldn’t be playing in the finals because of an administrative oversight was one of the hardest jobs he’d had in sport.

Kinsella said the club should have been fined rather than ruled out of the finals.

Schlittler said he was disappointed at the handling of the issue.

“My cricket days are over. I wanted to play with my son while I could, before he gets too good for me,’’ he said.

“I’ve been playing in the fifths having a great time and teaching the kids how to play properly.

“I was happy to help out Ormond and I thought I could without it being a problem (with Mentone). We should have been told weeks ago that it was a problem and obviously I would have stopped playing and we could have kept points in matches we were going to win anyway.

“Then our seven 13-year-olds could have played finals this weekend.’’

He said the young players were the priority in the team.

“They bowl all the overs because us old blokes can’t do anything. We’re just there to clap hands and set the batting order. It’s horrible for the kids because they’re the ones who have done all the work to win the games. I made 12 on the weekend and couldn’t hit one in the middle.’’

Schlittler added: “I’m more than happy to stand out because it’s not about me. It’s about seven kids desperate to play their first senior final.’’

CSB has been contacted for comment.

Meanwhile former Cricket Victoria chairman Russell Thomas and ex-Test leg-spinner Bryce McGain both went into bat for Mentone on social media.

McGain said the CSB decision was “absolutely outrageous stupidity’’.

Thomas tweeted: “What rubbish and comps wonder why it’s hard to get people to play and more importantly stay in the game.’’