Mercantile Cricket Association says it will go ahead with grand finals this weekend
The Mercantile Cricket Association is vowing to stage its season deciders, saying it does not want to “deprive many players of a once-in-a-career experience” when the chances of an infected person attending is low.
South East
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The Mercantile Cricket Association has declared it will go ahead with its grand finals this weekend.
While the Premier Cricket, Victorian Sub-District and a string of local competitions have pulled up stumps over the coronavirus crisis, the MCA is pushing on.
In a message to clubs this morning, Mercantile said it was playing on “at this stage’’.
It said it understood “the anxiety’’ of Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia but to cancel local cricket matches “with a tiny number of spectators and almost no close proximity between players is token action that achieves nothing unless taken as part of a properly co-ordinated government initiative at Victorian or national level to suspend non-essential communal activity, as has occurred in some countries overseas’’.
“The MCA will cancel grand finals if and when that is implemented here.
“The current number of identified coronavirus cases in Victoria is 94 in a population of 6.35 million, and growing at around 20 a day. Based on this infection rate, the probability of a victim being among the 30 people present at a typical MCA final this weekend is 1 in 1000. “This is not a reasonable basis on which to cancel grand finals and deprive many players of a once-in-a-career experience.’’
It said the grand finals would be called off if “government at Victorian or national level decides that a community-wide cancellation of non-essential activity is appropriate’’.
The Mercantile association said players would be required to bring their own food and cups and post-match presentations would be done away with or “stripped to the bare minimum’’, with captains asked to collect the mementos for winning and losing sides from the scorers’ table.
The three-day finals in A Grade and A Reserve have been reduced to two-day matches.
The decision to end the Premier Cricket season early was made after a Cricket Australia conference regarding grade and community cricket.
Victorian Premier Cricket played its men’s qualifying and elimination finals last weekend.
Semi-finals, preliminary finals and the grand final were to follow.
It’s unclear if a premier will be declared for the season.
Melbourne University finished on top of the ladder and was minor premier but was defeated by Northcote in the qualifying final.
Melbourne defeated Footscray in the other qualifying final to become the highest ranked team.
Meanwhile Prahran and Essendon Maribyrnong Park won through to the women’s Premier Firsts final.
Cricket Victoria said it was “working through the declaration of final results in competitions’’.
“We expect to be able to make those announcements within the next 24 hours after reviewing applicable competition rules. Teams and competitions that are impacted will be advised,’’ it said.
In a statement this morning, Cricket Australia said it “strongly recommended’’ that “all amateur cricket played within the community should cease, including Community Cricket and Premier Cricket’’.
“While many competitions are coming to an end, we are mindful that some competitions are only just commencing however the recommendation applies to all competitions and training,’’ it said.
“This decision is consistent with the measures taken to safeguard professional cricket at the elite level and is supported by State and Territory Associations.
“Based on expert advice from CA’s chief medical officer John Orchard and recent government information we want to ensure that cricket is doing everything it can to contribute to the global effort to slow, and eventually stop, the spread of coronavirus.
“While cricket is a relatively safe and non-contact sport there are considerable measures that need to be in place to adhere to expert advice around reducing the risk of spreading the virus. We focused specifically on minimising the risk and impact on the cricket communities that we lead and serve, as well as their families.
“Cricket Australia is continuing to work with State and Territory Associations to ensure we collectively provide ongoing support to local associations and the broader cricket community during this challenging and disruptive time.’’
Cricket Victoria will follow the CA recommendation and scrap the Premier Cricket finals.
But uncertainty surrounds the status of local cricket.
On Cricket Australia’s community.cricket.com.au website, CA said it “expects that all Premier and community cricket competitions cancel all cricket activity for the remainder of the 2019/20 season from 17 March 2020’’.
“Your local State or Territory Association is communicating directly with its clubs, associations, school competitions and indoor centres with more detailed advice,’’ it said.
This afternoon Cricket Victoria said the decision to cancel Premier Cricket was not taken lightly.
But it was “imperative as state and federal health agencies ask non-essential sporting competitions to cease activity’’.
“The last thing we sought to do was stop people from playing cricket,’’ Cricket Victoria CEO Andrew Ingleton said.
“But as I’m sure everyone can agree, these are exceptional and difficult circumstances for everyone to work through and public health is our number one priority. Continuing to bring groups of players, coaches, administrators, fans and volunteers together for Premier and local cricket matches is no longer a responsible course of action.”
The Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association had its north-south and east-west section grand finals set down for this weekend, but confirmed this afternoon they weren’t going ahead.
It sought legal advice on the issue.
Meanwhile the Ringwood and District Cricket Association also announced it had “no choice’’ but to cancel the rest of its season.
“The junior and senior committees will advise on the finer details of this decision in due course,’’ it said.
“All senior and senior presentation nights have also been postponed.’’
And the Dandenong District Cricket Association scrapped its Turf 1 decider between Berwick and Buckley Ridges, declaring the Bears the premiers.
“Although not an ideal situation, the decision was made in the best interest of all parties.
Stay safe and follow your coronavirus protocol,’’ secretary Ray Nicholls said in a message to clubs.