GCA changes implemented for two-day cricket format

A local Geelong cricket league has confirmed the mid-season change to one of its competitions, scrapping a format some one-sided results in the opening fortnight of the season.

GCA has changed its GCA4 fixture

A local cricket competition has undergone a dramatic mid-season fixture overhaul after the first two rounds of the season were completed.

The Geelong Cricket Association confirmed its fourth-grade competition, the GCA4, will scrap the two-day cricket that was set to be introduced this season.

The format was set to be introduced in 2022-23, but the constant rain cancellations in the first months of last season meant the GCA board refixtured all grades.

The GCA1, GCA2 and GCA3 will keep two-day games in their fixtures, meaning the league’s decision applies only to the fourth grade.

GCA committee chair Sydney Sykstus said the clubs were all in agreement for the change, with the change set to be the new normal going forward.

“I think this will be the norm and then it’ll need to be revisited,” he said.

“It was a lopsided draw, there was only three two-day games in the fixture so there was no equality of the draw.

“We settled on playing three rounds of two-day cricket, because the turf clubs that were relegated from the GCA3 division to division four were a bit upset, they wanted to play two-day cricket so we had to find a happy medium.

“We agreed on it last year with three two-day games, which makes the draw lopsided, but we had to see it, we had to test it.

“It was a blessing in disguise … last year the whole season became a one-day format.”

The first two rounds of the GCA4 season has been enough evidence of lopsided for league officials to make change, with Waurn Ponds Deakin beating North Shore by 10 wickets in just 20 overs of play at the weekend.

In round 1, Guild St Mary’s made 319 runs in just 42 overs against the Seagulls, while Lethbridge bowled Newcomb & District out in just 21 overs as well.

Just once this season (Waurn Ponds Deakin v Teesdale) has a game gone its full measure of 90 overs this season.

In the GCA4’s second grade, only three teams have batted a full 45 overs in the opening two rounds, while in four a team has been dismissed for a total less than 85 runs.

Sykstus said he believed the competition had made “the right decision” with the on-the-fly fixture change.

“We’ve got two-day cricket coming up and I had this hunch that division four cannot play two-day cricket, some of the first eleven cricket can’t get through 50 overs, how are they going to get through 70 overs?” he said.

“I was thinking about the wellbeing of players, the numbers are dropping off and I was saying to myself that this isn’t right.

“It was overwhelming … can we have common sense prevail and go back to one-day cricket.

“Teams are more competitive with a smaller over amount than a higher, they’ll be more competitive in a 50 over game than a 70 over game.

“I’m thinking about players wellbeing, players want to play cricket, not be chasing leather all day for five hours then face 20 overs then be back in the field for three hours.

“I think we’ve made the right decision.”

Originally published as GCA changes implemented for two-day cricket format