Victorian Turf Cricket Association planning several contingencies if season is impacted by COVID-19 restrictions
One of Melbourne’s biggest suburban cricket competitions is working on several plans for the upcoming season in case it is impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, including mid-week cricket.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Tuesday night cricket could become a fixture in 2020-21 under one of the Victorian Turf Cricket Association’s plans for the upcoming season.
The idea would likely only be introduced if the season had to be compressed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
It’s one of a number of scenarios the league is working through if the season can’t kick off on October 24 as hoped.
VSDCA: SUBBIES START DATE SET TO BE PUSHED BACK
LEADER: GET YOUR LOCAL CRICKET NEWS HERE
CHANGE: VTCA CONFIRMS STRUCTURE MODEL FOR 2020-21
VTCA president Steve McNamara said a lot depended on how Melbourne comes out of its lockdown in September.
“We’re certainly working through several scenarios at the moment,” he said.
“We’re waiting for the government to give us an indication of when restrictions might ease and that will determine what scenario we kick into.
“A part of the scenarios we’ve got in place is incorporating an idea of playing one-day games over consecutive Tuesday.
“So you might play 40 overs on one Tuesday and 40 overs the following Tuesday.
“We’ve got some ideas like that that would allow us to make up games but not necessarily mean the need to play them on a Sunday.”
Melbourne’s lockdown is due to end on September 13, six weeks before the proposed season start.
VTCA: WILL SUNSHINE UNITED BE BIG IMPROVERS?
VTCA: DRUIDS SNARE FORMER FIRST-CLASS BATSMAN
PREMIER: BOOST FOR WOMEN’S CRICKET
Clubs are expected to have at least four weeks of pre-season but another issue could still push Round 1 back.
At this point, (October 24) or around that is the preferred starting date,” McNamara said.
“It means restricted training but from memory Mid-Year Cricket was still allowed to play but was required to have groups of 10 at training.
“I think most clubs are probably content with a four-week pre-season but it’s going to be more determined by preparation of wickets.
“We’re going to need five or six weeks for preparation.”
The league restructured its competition over the off-season, scrapping the twin Division 1 competition for a streamlined promotion-relegation structure.
Senior Division will be a 10-team competition in 2020-21, while Division 1 will feature 12 teams.
If the season does get away on time, McNamara hopes finals will be completed by April.
Easter lands on the first week of April in 2021, which could interrupt finals and push into football season.
“We’re hoping anything prior to a mid-November start then we’d certainly look to complete finals by the end of March,” McNamara said.
“A, it will distract from football, but also if you push into April you’ve got Easter in the early part of it, so how to you incorporate that around finals.
“You’ve also got the fact daylight savings is gone.
“Ideally, we’re hoping we don’t have to incorporate April into the equation but it is factored into our later start options.”