Two clubs withdraw teams but Mercantile Cricket Association goes ahead with grand finals
A suburban Melbourne cricket association on the weekend defied urgings from authorities to pull up stumps over the coronavirus, and forged on with grand finals at South Yarra.
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There were a few joggers.
Some people walked dogs.
Children played on the grass banks around the ground.
And there was cricket played at Como Park in South Yarra on Saturday too, as there is at the picturesque park every Saturday during summer.
But yesterday’s play was notable for the fact that there was no cricket elsewhere in Melbourne.
During the week Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria had urged local cricket associations to pull up stumps because of the coronavirus crisis.
The Mercantile Cricket Association was the only competition that pushed on with its grand finals.
In a statement, secretary Alec Kahn said the chances of a coronavirus victim being among the 30 people who attended a typical Mercantile final were one in a thousand.
“This is not a reasonable basis on which to cancel grand finals and deprive many players of a once-in-a-career experience,’’ Kahn said.
The Mercantile association, described by one official as having a “streak of independence’’, came in for some criticism for its decision to play its grand final.
And two of its clubs, Flemington Colts and Melbourne City, withdrew teams from the deciders.
The association called up losing teams from the semi-finals to replace them.
“We were concerned for our players, concerned for the community, and we followed the lead from Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria and everybody else,’’ Colts president Andrew McSweeney said yesterday.
“Only Mercantile didn’t. It’s incredibly disappointing. We think they (Mercantile officials) have got this one wrong and they’re being pretty bloody-minded and pig-headed. We’re feeling very flat today.’’
But players and umpires in the A grade final between South Yarra and Parkville District at Como Park were happy to play and fight over season honours.
The players had to bring their own lunch and afternoon tea, and they ate outside the changerooms.
The Parkville District bowlers used no saliva to shine the ball and there were no high-fives or handshakes when wickets were taken.
There were four early scalps for the Parkville team after the Yarras opted to bat, but the hosts rallied to reach 259 from 102.4 overs.
They then nabbed a wicket before stumps to leave the reigning four-time premiers 1-0 heading into today’s second day.
Hamza Faizi (0), Sam Chapman (2), Archie Macpherson (0) and Kenan Alev (20) fell to catches behind the wicket as South Yarra slumped to 4-24.
Patiently and then stylishly, Josh Deniet and Tim Rawlinson revived them with a partnership that produced 94 for the fifth wicket.
Deniet (37 off 121 deliveries) was caught behind off spinner Lewis Catlow, and eight runs later Rawlinson (62 off 114 balls, with 7 fours and a hit down the ground for six) edged behind from the bowling of Nathan Green, who was rewarded for a fine, unflagging spell from the practice wickets end of the ground.
At 6-126 South Yarra was some distance short of where it wanted to be.
After tea Alex Coetzee (66 not out off 156 balls, with 9 fours and 1 six), James Green (26 off 36) and William Richardson (28 off 28) contributed vital runs as the Yarras went past 250.
The Parkville District bowlers shared the load and the spoils.
Andrew Green opened the attack, removed Chapman and Faizi, and finished with 3-40 off 23 overs.
Nathan Green was outstanding with 3-59 off 24.4, and Sean Wilson (2-41 off 15) and Catlow (2-54 off 22) did their piece.
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