THE 2019-20 Grampians Cricket Association season is having a poor run thanks to consistent wet weather across consecutive weekends.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Two weeks running now the senior rounds have been cancelled due to bad weather, with clubs making the call last Saturday at 11am - just two hours before games were due to start.
"The way it has worked the last two weeks is the executives have until 11am to make a decision, and after that it's up to the captains and the umpire to make a decision, and they may say go ahead and play or they may say it's too wet to play," association president David Turner said.
Rounds two and three results are now listed as draws, an outcome that Turner said could hurt some of the stronger sides.
"Each team gets half points as it would be for a drawn game," he said. "From that, it probably impacts the stronger sides against a couple of the weaker sides, but there's nothing we can do about it."
Despite frustration with the situation, the decision needed to reflect player safety as the priority, Turner said.
"At the end of the day we've got to make a decision based on player safety," he said.
It was unclear how the cancellations would impact the season in terms of fixtures, and Turner said those conversations were yet to take place.
"We haven't really looked at it because most Saturdays are taken up," he said. "We could probably start B grade a week earlier but that's not really an option from the point of view that people have looked at that (fixture) and said 'right, we'll be away'."
The cancellations follow a week-long delay to the start of the season.
"It's just frustrating because we rehashed the draw and we looked at it and said every team is going to get more cricket, but the way it's going we haven't been able to get out there and play," Turner said.
Players were feeling the frustration too. Swifts/Great Western captain Sam Cocks said he couldn't remember a year like it.
"We were lucky to get a game in round one," he said. "Obviously things can't be helped but everyone wants to be playing cricket. Let's hope we have seen the last of it."
Under 16 cricket weren't fixed to play last weekend and were able to play round two, but under 13s had to cancel half their matches.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday morning from the Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from Ararat and districts, sign up here.