Water logged … Green Gully Reserve was one of many grounds unfit for play on the weekend. 54869 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Michael Esposito
YES, it’s frustrating, but there’s not much you can do.
That’s the overriding sentiment of club and association representatives on the delay of the Victorian Sub-District Cricket season, which was postponed for the third straight week on Saturday.
Although some competitions, such as premier cricket and the NWCA, started on schedule, the sub-district and Victorian Turf Competition has been delayed three weeks. But even those competitions that started on time had to cancel this weekend’s games due to Friday’s deluge.
Yarraville Cricket Club president Graham Jarry said while it was frustrating, it was something all cricket people were used to.
“This used to happen a lot before the drought. Everyone’s a couple of weeks behind in the preparation. We’re pretty right to go at Yarraville and we have been for a week or so. It’s just a frustrating time for all cricketers.”
VSDCA president Jack Sheehan said the unco-operative weather has simply made it too difficult for ground staff to get the grounds up on time.
“Most of the councils have found it very difficult to get on and do the repairs and to do the necessary maintenance to bring them back,” he said.
“What we’ve got to appreciate is that to try to get all the turf tables ready in a very short period of time is very difficult. If they have those wet spells you just can’t get machinery on you just can’t treat the turf, and when its wet there’s no point germinating and doing scarifying anyway.”
The cancelled or shortened games would only have a minor impact on clubs’ financial positions, according to Williamstown Cricket Club president Graham Murdoch.
“Given the nature of the season and that the start of the season is generally washed out, clubs budget for training indoors for a certain amount of time,” Murdoch said.
“Then if the season gets delayed that can drag out and cost a little bit more, but ultimately from a financial point of view the delays of the season don’t impact us significantly. Most social functions that are organised by clubs are generally in the months of November and December.
“The social and corporate sponsorships are the lifeline of clubs as well as the grants that we get from the subbies every year. The match-day revenue is marginal.”
Sheehan said the association advised clubs to discuss with councils a possible recourse for compensation if they were significantly affected.
“If they only get 11 home games and they miss three, it does impact on their bottom line,” Sheehan said.
Sheehan acknowledged that some councils maintained its grounds better than others, but clubs also employ their own curators to look after the wickets.
“Some would say maybe some councils don’t do it as well as others but that’s life. We’re in their hands and they’re a major sponsor for sport because of all the work they put in and if we really had to pay the money that it cost to get it all up and ready to play then there’d be no clubs playing. So we’ve just got to toe the party line there,” he said.
“We haven’t had any drying weather, it’s still moist, here were are again we’ve got more rain, so you get a couple of days of sun and a bit of wind but then the rain comes again and you’re back to square one, so it’s just not getting that real growth.”
Clubs have also been caught out by their own diligence, by sowing summer grass during the drought, and then experiencing unexpected volumes of rain this year.
Sunshine Cricket Club president Greg Simpson found some positives in the postponed season.
“It just gives us a couple of weeks extra for the centre table to be prepared. It’s ready now, but a couple of extra weeks is always good,” he said.
“The advantage is we’ve got two one-dayers coming up now. I think people enjoy watching the one-dayers a bit more. There’s a little bit more action.”
For games that are completely called off before Christmas, the association has a reserve day in February.
Sheehan said: “It’s very frustrating for all the players and administrators but we’ve all been through seasons where we’ve never played in October because of weather.”
