Victorian Premier Cricket names starting date for season, outlines seven possible fixtures
Premier Cricket is aiming to start in the not too distant future, but officials have set out seven potential draws if COVID-19 delays the start of the season.
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Victorian Premier Cricket is aiming for an October 24 start but has put in place a seven-step plan if COVID-19 interferes with the season.
Cricket Victoria this morning presented clubs with a range of scenarios for 2020-21 as they grow increasingly concerned the pandemic will delay the start of the season.
It also hit the end of last season, with the finals series scrapped after one week.
CV officials have outlined seven possible fixtures, the first starting with Round 1 on Saturday, October 24.
Premier Cricket manager Darren Anderson said CV’s priority was to play as soon as possible, but only when it was safe to do so for players, volunteers and the wider community.
He said there was a “significant amount of uncertainty surrounding when we will be able to return to training and playing’’.
But to ensure clubs and players could prepare for the season “we feel it is important to set a start date to work towards based on the information we currently know’’.
“We have developed several different scenarios for the earliest possible start date once the ‘return to train’ and ‘return to play’ dates are known,’’ Anderson said.
“Each scenario has a ‘cut-off date’ for when the ‘return to train’ and ‘return to play’ must be known, otherwise we will move on to the next scenario.’’
January 30 would be latest the season could start.
The starting dates are:
1: October 24 (cut-off date September 10)
2: November 7 (cut-off date September 24)
3: November 21 (cut-off date October 8)
4: December 5 (cut-off date October 29)
5: January 9 (cut-off date November 26)
6: January 23 (cut-off date December 10)
7: January 30 (cut-off January 5)
If the season does get away on time and has no interruptions finals will start on Saturday, April 3 and the grand final will be held on April 17-18.
The women’s decider will be staged on Sunday, March 28.
Anderson said the playing dates and season structure had been developed after consultation with clubs, Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria’s high performance unit, BBL teams and the Premier Cricket strategy group.
The high performance unit said players would need pre-season “bat versus ball’’ workloads of between three and five weeks to play T20 cricket, four to six weeks to play one-dayers and six to eight to play two-day matches.
It also said short-format cricket should make up most of the Premier Cricket season.
“This recommendation is both from a playing perspective and a consideration to the implications of a possible COVID-19 outbreak with a team/club midway through a two-day match,’’ Anderson said.
Two-day matches are listed only in the first two fixtures, in February and during finals.
The first five rounds will be played between teams that are geographically close to each other to avoid unnecessary cross-town travel.
Anderson said Super Slam T20 dates would be finalised “once a clear understanding of the start date is known, however should the season not be able to start by November 7 we would review whether the competition would take place’’.
The men’s Third and Fourth XI fixtures will be reviewed and potentially have only one-day matches.
There is also the possibility of one-dayers being played with red ball and relaxed bowling restrictions after Christmas.
“We understand that having so many different scenarios isn’t ideal, however we must accept that this will not be a normal season and we must be flexible and agile in how we approach the scheduling of matches to ensure clarity for players, coaches, umpires and administrators,’’ Anderson said.