Interest in Melbourne winter cricket league at an all-time high
Howzat! The Mid Year Cricket Association is getting ready for another winter season, with a potential start date revealed.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
While some sports procrastinate about playing this winter, it might come as a surprise that one sport almost definitely going ahead is cricket.
Yes, the Mid Year Cricket Association is getting ready to hit off for its 11th season.
After the coronavirus crisis delayed its usual April start, the association is hoping to start in a few weeks — smack bang in the middle of winter!
“We’ve got a potential date of July 11,” MYCA secretary Raj Bhatia said today.
“It’s still a quick turnaround but I think it’s long enough to allow everyone to get all the potential things happening.”
Bhatia says his phone has been running hot, with interest in winter cricket at an all-time high as Melbourne’s sporting folk with energy to burn look for activities after lockdown.
“We have a lot of interest coming in,” he said.
“With some footy competitions cancelled for the year and other sports not playing, we are seeing a spike in the number of teams that want to play cricket.
“My record is 119 phone calls in a day. There are very committed people who want to play cricket at all cost.”
You wouldn’t think Melbourne’s winter is the best time for outdoor cricket, but the Mid Year Cricket Association has been a success.
Bhatia proudly boasts that only three wash-outs have occurred since the league started in 2010.
It seems winter cricketers are a hardy bunch, happy to play through rain.
“Generally the summer cricket will have more wash-outs than us,” he said.
“Our rules are slightly different to summer rules...generally we get up and running and that’s the reason it’s so successful. People can’t fathom the idea of winter cricket in Melbourne.”
Bhatia says MYCL has grown at a rapid rate.
“It’s getting huge. When we started we had 10 teams in one division. Now we have 134 teams in 14 divisions,’’ he said.
“And that’s spread out throughout Melbourne.
“We’ve had enquiries all the way from Morwell. We’ve had enquiries from Bendigo as well.
“There is no doubt that in the near future we will be branching out into country areas as well.
“No one expected it to grow at the rapid pace it has.”
MYCA plays 35 overs a side one day fixtures which begin from midday on most Saturdays in winter. Yellow match balls are used and each match has a professional umpire.
MYCA registrations are still being taken.
MORE CRICKET