Netherlands captain Scott Edwards has been denied a one-match local cricket appearance

An international captain’s bid to make a one-off local cricket cameo in Melbourne’s outer east has been denied by the association. Read why.

Netherlands captain Scott Edwards . (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP)

International Scott Edwards cannot play local cricket.

Not in the Dandenong District Cricket Association anyway.

Turf 1 side Beaconsfield lodged a clearance for the Netherlands captain to play this weekend but it was blocked by the DDCA.

It’s understood Edwards, who plays Victorian Premier Cricket for Richmond around international duties, is only playing white-ball cricket.

With Richmond in the middle of a two-day match, the wicketkeeper-bat was eager to play in Beaconsfield’s one-day match against Buckley Ridges.

But Edwards needed approval from the DDCA after he played for Richmond in Round 1.

Under DDCA rule 5.3.1: A player who has played during the current season for a VCA first or second eleven side shall obtain written approval from the Rules and Permits Committee before playing in the DDCA.

Netherlands captain Scott Edwards. (Photo by Noah SEELAM/AFP)

DDCA secretary Tara Hill said in correspondence to the club that the rules and permits committee judged it wasn’t in the best interests of the competition to allow Edwards to play one game.

She said the DDCA was “committed to protecting the spirit and integrity of the game and believe the playing of a highly credentialed cricketer such as Scott Edwards will open up the possibility of any cricketer playing in the DDCA when they are unavailable at District level, or when the dates of both competitions don’t align”.

Hill pointed out that the DDCA encouraged any lower-grade Premier player, “who genuinely misses out on selection at Premier level, to come back and play at their home club”.

“And we allow and encourage clubs to have a marquee player in our T20 competition,” she said.

Beaconsfield president Ben White was disappointed by the decision as he felt it was a boost for the competition.

“Yeah we thought it would have been fantastic not only for the club but the association, really,” he said.

“Scott got sent our way given the strength of the Turf 1 DDCA competition and he has personal contacts within our club as well.

“We thought it was a good news story for the club and association, obviously the association thought differently which we were disappointed by.

“From our perspective there’s a points system to manage this sort of thing which we were well under with Scott playing.”