Sub-District cricket: Subbies’ plan to go to 32 clubs pushed back at least 12 months

The Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association is still keen to bring in four new clubs but it won’t be happening for at least a year.

Aidan Salvado of Yarraville attempts to turn a shot off his pads against Taylor Lakes, the most recent club to join Subbies.

The Victorian Sub-District Association is in for a period of consolidation rather than expansion.

The Subbies declared two years ago ago they wanted to add four more clubs by the 2019-20 season.

But the plan to increase the number of clubs to 32 has been pushed back for at least 12 months.

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President Phil O’Meara said interest from two prospective affiliates had waned, another club from the western suburbs came forward last week and two others were keen but hadn’t taken it to their members.

O’Meara said the VSDCA wouldn’t rush the process.

“We want to get it right, so it’s looking more like 24 months than 12 months to do it,’’ he said.

“We need to get clubs that are strong enough to come in and have two turf grounds and actually want to play two-day cricket.

“That’s a challenge, that part of it, the two-day (cricket). Some of the clubs like their thirds and fourths to play one-dayers.’’

Former VSDCA club Port Melbourne was believed to be considering a move back to Subbies but will remain in Cricket Southern Bayside.

Subbies president Phil O'Meara and vice-president Geoff Hart.

Taylors Lakes is the most recent newcomer to Subbies, crossing from the VTCA in 2016-17.

O’Meara said the association was encouraged by the progress of struggling clubs Moorabbin and Endeavour Hills in 2018-19.

He said the Binners improved “dramatically’’ and Endeavour Hills was “solid at the moment’’.

“They (the Hills) have still got a long way to go but they’re going in the right direction,’’ O’Meara said.

“You always want your bottom clubs to get better because it creates stronger competition.’’

The VSDCA has also discussed introducing a salary cap, to go with the points cap of 20 it brought in last season.

It would prefer a “uniform approach’’ and that it come in at the same time as other associations.

Officials from Subbies, Premier Cricket, the VTCA, VMCU and VCCL talked over the issue in February.

The return of the Championship final has also been on the VSDCA executive’s agenda.

The final was squeezed out when the top six was adopted in 2010-11 and VSDCA secretary Ken Hilton said clubs were pleased with the finals model.

He said 21 clubs contested the finals in 2018-19.

Meanwhile, the VSDCA, established in 1908-09, appears to have seen off the threat of being broken up under the Cricket Victoria region model.

Asked if CV was happy for the Subbies to continue, a spokesman told Leader: “We’d love to have the VSDCA on board for the Melbourne Metro Cricket Strategy (MMCS) as we do with all metropolitan associations.

“We are confident the MMCS will deliver improved outcomes for cricket however the VSDCA is entitled to make their own choices and we respect this.

“Cricket Victoria and the VSDCA meet regularly throughout the year and maintain a positive relationship.’’

O’Meara said it was “business as usual’’ for the Sub-District association “but I’ll never take my eye off the ball, put it that way’’.

“Things can change but the clubs wish to remain as a separate competition and their wish must be respected,’’ he said.

He said Cricket Victoria had given the VSDCA approval to bring in new clubs.