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Suburban clubs, associations ready to keep community cricket strong in wake Cricket Victoria cuts

Local clubs and associations left shocked at Cricket Victoria’s massive staff cuts to community cricket say they are ready to fill the void, revealing how they plan to ensure the sport thrives at a grassroots level.

Surrey Hills celebrate the dismissal of Heathmont batsman Lahiru Silva in the Eastern Cricket Association.
Surrey Hills celebrate the dismissal of Heathmont batsman Lahiru Silva in the Eastern Cricket Association.

Local cricket clubs and associations are ready to fill the void left by Cricket Victoria’s massive staff cuts to community cricket and junior pathway programs.

While club and league officials were disappointed at the sporting body’s decision to axe two-thirds of their field staff and effectively reduce grassroots support, all said they wouldn’t let junior programs fall by the wayside.

“Junior cricket is the backbone of our club – there is no better sight than our three grounds, side-by-side, packed all weekend with families supporting our young stars,” St Andrews Cricket Club president Matthew Millar said.

“We are still confident the support will be there, perhaps in a different manner, but we will just need to adapt and be smart with the time and attention we are given.

“On occasions we will likely need to ask more from our large membership base to help the continued recruitment and ongoing development of our kids.”

St Andrews Cricket Club under-14 players celebrate a wicket in the Ringwood and District Cricket Association.
St Andrews Cricket Club under-14 players celebrate a wicket in the Ringwood and District Cricket Association.

St Andrews has one of the strongest junior programs in the Ringwood and District Cricket Association with 15 teams, including four girls teams, from under 10s to under 16s.

Cricket’s army of volunteers has long been responsible for administering the game at grassroots level, but support and resources from Cricket Victoria had always helped to grow participation, support junior development and provide infrastructure.

Dandenong District Cricket Association president Michael Hawking said he thought grassroots cricket would be the last thing they’d touch.

“If Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia weren’t around we (the clubs) would still exist but if we didn’t exist they wouldn’t,” he said.

Dandenong District Cricket Association president Michael Hawking.
Dandenong District Cricket Association president Michael Hawking.
Buckley Ridges v Hallam Kalora Park in the DDCA. Picture: Josie Hayden
Buckley Ridges v Hallam Kalora Park in the DDCA. Picture: Josie Hayden

“Cricket has always been in competition with basketball, soccer and numerous other outside interests from kids and in the last few years we’ve grabbed the opportunity from Cricket Victoria resources to get into schools and run clinics.

“What we can do is only the best we can do, try and lean on our volunteers, who are terrific club people, but are more inclined to be internal club volunteers and run Woolworths Blast programs and junior teams than go out to schools.

“I don’t expect they can do much more than what they do now.”

Mr Hawking said the DDCA was planning to establish its own junior academy to invest in its talented young cricketers.

Ashburton bowler Braydon Fleming bowls in the ECA Dunstan Shield against Heathmont. Picture: Chris Eastman
Ashburton bowler Braydon Fleming bowls in the ECA Dunstan Shield against Heathmont. Picture: Chris Eastman
Mordialloc players celebrate a wicket in the Dandenong District Cricket Association. Picture: Sarah Matray
Mordialloc players celebrate a wicket in the Dandenong District Cricket Association. Picture: Sarah Matray

Eastern Cricket Association president Richard Barker said their representative programs were even more important now.

“With the Youth Premier League gone it gives us the ability to control the selection process a little bit more, make the opportunity of playing representative cricket more attractive as they’ll be competing against and mixing with the best junior players,” he said.

Mr Barker said cricket was a mature sport and had a good foothold in the community.

“We operate on a voluntary basis, the Cricket Victoria employees were complementary and really appreciated by the clubs, but didn’t replace anything we were doing at an association level,” he said.

Jamie Scott of the Lalor bats during the DVCA grand final in March 2020. Picture: James Ross
Jamie Scott of the Lalor bats during the DVCA grand final in March 2020. Picture: James Ross

“We’ve got to keep doing it well to attract people back to the sport and make sure our clubs are healthy.”

Diamond Valley Cricket Association president Matthew Fleming said they would work with their clubs to ensure continued junior development going forward.

“We’re there to develop community cricket, we’ve got a strong structure and culture and we’re positive that cricket will continue to flourish in the Diamond Valley region,” he said.

RDCA president Michael Finn said they were still weighing up what impact the Cricket Victoria cutbacks would have, but the loss of regional cricket manager Di Day would be a major blow.

MORE: WHY JUNIOR PATHWAY PROGRAMS MATTER

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STAKEHOLDERS LEARN OF CRICKET VIC CUTS IN MEDIA

Mr Hawking said the DDCA had also lost a “magnificent cricket manager” in Adrian Jones.

Cricket Victoria chief executive Andrew Ingleton wrote to clubs and associations last Friday to inform them of the changes.

In a statement, he said they were the “engine room” for community cricket.

“It’s our job to support them in the work they do and find ways to make the load on volunteers and administrators more manageable,” he said.

“We will have fewer feet on the ground, that is the sad reality of the changes we’ve had to make.

“But I’ve already had strong feedback from a range of stakeholders that they want to be part of building the solutions to these hurdles we have.”

Mr Ingleton is still yet to accept an interview invitation from Leader.

jack.paynter@news.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/suburban-clubs-associations-ready-to-keep-community-cricket-strong-in-wake-cricket-victoria-cuts/news-story/cc703c96c0d05ce3298bcdb79b920290