Eastern Cricket Association: St Kevin’s given points after Edinburgh turns up without match ball

Edinburgh Cricket Club had to make a dash back to Brunswick St Oval to grab a match ball on Saturday. But the delay cost it the points.

Edinburgh jumped on the front foot and conceded the points after turning up without a match ball on Saturday.

No ball took on another meaning in a senior match in the Eastern Cricket Association on Saturday.

Playing St Kevin’s Old Collegians in the Wright Shield, the Edinburgh team was about to start its bowling effort when it realised it hadn’t brought a ball to the game at Yarra Bend, Fairfield.

It caused a delay in play of about an hour, with the parent of a player having to drive back to the club’s ground at Brunswick St Oval to collect a ball.

Edinburgh, captained by former Sri Lankan Test spinner Suraj Randiv, batted first and made 173.

Under competition rules, the loss of time meant St Kevin’s could bat only until 6pm.

It sped to 3-151 off 21 overs when stumps were drawn.

The match was recorded as a draw on mycricket but St Kevin’s protested - and the ECA has upheld it.

“One (Edinburgh player) thought one had the ball for the game and the other thought the other had the ball for the game, and when we went out to bat for our innings the ball was not presented,’’ St Kevin’s captain Nick Tripani said.

“We had a delayed start because there was no alternate ball to use.

“From there the rules started we could only play until 6pm. Once a ball was found we could only play for 80 minutes, taking it through to 6pm.’’

St Kevin’s had a dash at the target, with opener John Mackinnoin clattering 67 off 37 balls, with four 4 sixes.

Tripani opened with him and hit 53 not out off 57.

Tripani could laugh about the situation, saying: “Shit happens, and shit happened on this occasion. There were a few Edinburgh boys scratching their heads. They were really good about it. It was purely accidental. They were really sorry about it. He (Randiv) was so apologetic.’’

The experienced Tripani said it was one of the more unusual things he had seen on a cricket field. He said the game always “threw up surprises’’.

ECA operations manager Rod Patterson said he had never heard of a team turning up without a ball.

Edinburgh president Stuart Whiley said his club could see the funny side of the mix-up.

“It probably happens more frequently than it looks,’’ he said.

“Normally you’d be at a ground where the opposition has its main clubrooms and they’d reach into their box of balls and give you one. But we were out at Yarra Bend, where there’s limited facilities, and the opposition had only their balls. But, yeah, a bit embarrassing.’’

Whiley said St Kevin’s was on course to win the match, deserved the full points and his club had jumped on the front foot and conceded them.