Cricket nightmare: ‘Covid looks easy compared to this’

As another week of cricket is ruled out, some officials are saying it was easier to start a season during Covid compared to La Nina. Here’s more about the “nightmare” situation:

Victorian Premier Cricket has yet again called off play for the fifth-straight week due unprecedented rainfalls interrupting pitch preparations.

The premier competition was originally scheduled to begin on October 1 although the La Nina weather pattern has proved too hefty to enable turf cricket to go ahead.

The Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association also joined premier cricket and several other turf competitions on Thursday in calling off play for the weekend.

Earlier in the week, Subbies cricket were on track for its first game of the season on Saturday as more than half the grounds were available.

The competition revealed they will “go for it” and begin the season if more than 50 per cent of the grounds were available.

Although on Wednesday afternoon, they said it depended on “a couple of really good drying days” or else they would be struggling.

“We usually work on a 50-50 split,” VSDCA chief executive and secretary Ken Hilton said.

“If we got 50 per cent of the grounds available, we will go for it.

“We are getting closer, we have passed that figure in fact.”

Brunswick, Elsternwick, Coburg and “a couple of others” were the only grounds that were unavailable.

Brunswick Cricket Club's A G Gillon Oval.

Brunswick Cricket Club's A G Gillon Oval.

After Thursday rainfalls however, it became increasingly difficult and resulted in competitions moving swiftly to call off play that day.

Hilton said outfields were the “biggest issue” across the competition and future play likely depended on how they coped with rainfalls.

“The clubs have done a really good job with their cover management,” he said.

“Everybody is jumping out of their skin to play but unless the outfields dry out a bit.

“There are places where they can’t even get the roller out to the centre to roll the wicket.

“So we just need a couple of days of drying so the outfields can recover a bit.”

He said winds would help the situation by keeping outfields dry.

Hilton expressed how trying to start the season has been worse than in Covid times.

“It’s been a nightmare,” he said.

“Covid is making it look easy compared to this.

“I have never experienced a rain spell like this.

“We have had wet starts to the season before but we have usually started in week three or week four.

“But to lose four weeks and the weather is against us this week again.

“We have had quite a bit of rain in the last 48 hours.

“We got pictures of grounds this morning that are quite water lodged.

“So unless we get a couple of really good drying days at the end of this week, we’re going to be struggling again.”

He said it was difficult for the players as well.

“It’s a massive challenge,” he said.

“It’s terribly disappointing for the players.

“You can only do so much training in any sports.

“We just need some fine weather so the curators can do some work on the wickets.”