Changes to Grade Cricket and Cricket in SA

[Footy Smart]

What are peoples opinions/options for improving grade cricket and the cricketers produced by the elite cricket competition in SA.

No doubt some tough decisions need to be made, but are the people in place to make the tough calls?

Thoughts???

[Lightning McQueen]

For South Australia to improve in the domestic competition the SACA needs to have less teams playing in the Grade cricket. I think that the talent spreads a little too thin with the excessive amount of sides in the competition.

Perhaps the Geographic boundaries could force clubs to merge and make A Grade games harder for players to break into. The way I see it, you see players (batsmen in particular) score consistent runs in Grade cricket but the standard jumps too high for when they get to state level, if there were less clubs, there would be less passengers in each team as they'd be forced out into the lower grades. It would make it harder for players to dominate grade cricket and therefore they would be more accustomed to good bowling when they get a state call-up.

[Footy Smart]

Most definately to many teams. The point is you are never going to get rid rid of under performing clubs and clubs will never want to merge so nothing will happen and we will just go around in circles. Serious questions must be raised about Uni and having no juniors does nothing for State Cricket all it does is harvest state players coming from interstate etc and little more.

I think there should be a Div 1 Div 2 comp set up. Use the top few clubs from premier grade ATCA and make the 2 divs. There are some good players in the ATCA comp which would expose a the lesser performing grade clubs to still good if not better competition.

[Dogwatcher]

LM - maybe we should see some mergers like happened a decade ago eh?
Seems some made the sacrifice for the betterment of SA cricket but others weren't keen to do so. Which is fair enough but now it's got to a parlous situation and SACA needs to have some balls and do something about it IMO.

[Lightning McQueen]

LM - maybe we should see some mergers like happened a decade ago eh?
Seems some made the sacrifice for the betterment of SA cricket but others weren't keen to do so. Which is fair enough but now it's got to a parlous situation and SACA needs to have some balls and do something about it IMO.

Unfortunately yes, I was never keen to play home games out of Salisbury, I hated bowling there, it gave you nothing after the first half an hour, Argana wasn't that much better but you could still bowl a decent bouncer late in the day.

There are still too many clubs in close proximity of each other, I agree with the Uni comment, at least all the other clubs have juniors.

[Lightning McQueen]

Most definately to many teams. The point is you are never going to get rid rid of under performing clubs and clubs will never want to merge so nothing will happen and we will just go around in circles. Serious questions must be raised about Uni and having no juniors does nothing for State Cricket all it does is harvest state players coming from interstate etc and little more.

I think there should be a Div 1 Div 2 comp set up. Use the top few clubs from premier grade ATCA and make the 2 divs. There are some good players in the ATCA comp which would expose a the lesser performing grade clubs to still good if not better competition.

Good idea, there is too much history for clubs to be keen on a merger, I'd say that the ATCA club players play ATCA because of the playing hours, A & B grade district is a bit much for someone that works full-time and has a family, throw in the post-match discussions (critical) and it makes for a long Saturday.

[Footy Smart]

I think they should also scrap Ray Sutton and play an under 15 or 16 one day comp as 13 is to young and still so much developing to be done. Then have an under 21 one day comp. After that the kids/young adults who are good enough should be playing A grade one dayers.

Its not that hard to fix i dont think just needs someone with some cods to fix it.

[Stumps]

Most definately to many teams. The point is you are never going to get rid rid of under performing clubs and clubs will never want to merge so nothing will happen and we will just go around in circles. Serious questions must be raised about Uni and having no juniors does nothing for State Cricket all it does is harvest state players coming from interstate etc and little more.

I think there should be a Div 1 Div 2 comp set up. Use the top few clubs from premier grade ATCA and make the 2 divs. There are some good players in the ATCA comp which would expose a the lesser performing grade clubs to still good if not better competition.

Sydney 216818 residents per Grade team
Melbourne 211449 residents per Grade team
Brisbane 154799 residents per Grade team
Perth 97173 residents per Grade team
Adelaide 89096 residents per Grade team
Hobart 25935 residents per Grade team

You are correct Adelaide have alot of teams per population espescially compared to Sydney Melb and Brisbane. The only problem with the "too many teams theory" is how come Tassie have been a powerhouse in the competition the last few years when they have 3 times as many teams per person as what we do? And WA are a very strong state with a similar quota of teams as what we do? Amount of teams is too simplistic an answer

[Dogwatcher]

Someone suggested a Div 1/Div 2 concept.
England thought there were too many teams and decided to do something similar, is that correct?
How has that move gone over there? Has it translated to a higher level of performance by its national side?

[james07]

I think teams are one issue but i also believe that grade clubs have too many grades ie A B C D. playing D grade or even C grade district cricket is no great task and very average players are playing this grade of cricket. Definately a under 18 or 21 comp should be formed to allow kids the time to develop and mature into the game and not be lost to other sports or to sport all together.

[Lightning McQueen]

I think teams are one issue but i also believe that grade clubs have too many grades ie A B C D. playing D grade or even C grade district cricket is no great task and very average players are playing this grade of cricket. Definately a under 18 or 21 comp should be formed to allow kids the time to develop and mature into the game and not be lost to other sports or to sport all together.

Agree totally, any of the leading Grade 1 PDCA teams would beat the Jets' C grade, it shouldn't be the case.

[norm11]

I think teams are one issue but i also believe that grade clubs have too many grades ie A B C D. playing D grade or even C grade district cricket is no great task and very average players are playing this grade of cricket. Definately a under 18 or 21 comp should be formed to allow kids the time to develop and mature into the game and not be lost to other sports or to sport all together.

Sounds like a great idea maybe u should get involved there james ?

[james07]

I think teams are one issue but i also believe that grade clubs have too many grades ie A B C D. playing D grade or even C grade district cricket is no great task and very average players are playing this grade of cricket. Definately a under 18 or 21 comp should be formed to allow kids the time to develop and mature into the game and not be lost to other sports or to sport all together.

Sounds like a great idea maybe u should get involved there james ?

na trying to build our own empire
if the district clubs can look past the revenue that they raise from these lower grades then people will respect the standard of cricket they play in and the loss of money will be compensated by increased sponsorship dollars etc

[Lightning McQueen]

I think teams are one issue but i also believe that grade clubs have too many grades ie A B C D. playing D grade or even C grade district cricket is no great task and very average players are playing this grade of cricket. Definately a under 18 or 21 comp should be formed to allow kids the time to develop and mature into the game and not be lost to other sports or to sport all together.

Sounds like a great idea maybe u should get involved there james ?

na trying to build our own empire
if the district clubs can look past the revenue that they raise from these lower grades then people will respect the standard of cricket they play in and the loss of money will be compensated by increased sponsorship dollars etc

Are you Andrew Demetriou?

[james07]

I think teams are one issue but i also believe that grade clubs have too many grades ie A B C D. playing D grade or even C grade district cricket is no great task and very average players are playing this grade of cricket. Definately a under 18 or 21 comp should be formed to allow kids the time to develop and mature into the game and not be lost to other sports or to sport all together.

Sounds like a great idea maybe u should get involved there james ?

na trying to build our own empire
if the district clubs can look past the revenue that they raise from these lower grades then people will respect the standard of cricket they play in and the loss of money will be compensated by increased sponsorship dollars etc

Are you Andrew Demetriou?

getting closer

[Lightning McQueen]

A very political statement there James, what is the monetary value of a A grade district player.

[james07]

A very political statement there James, what is the monetary value of a A grade district player.

not sure what you mean

[Lightning McQueen]

A very political statement there James, what is the monetary value of a A grade district player.

not sure what you mean

I was commenting on your intellectual statement in regards to sponsorship etc. My second comment was asking if you knew what sort of coin A Grade district players would get, my guess is bugger all.

[james07]

A very political statement there James, what is the monetary value of a A grade district player.

not sure what you mean

I was commenting on your intellectual statement in regards to sponsorship etc. My second comment was asking if you knew what sort of coin A Grade district players would get, my guess is bugger all.

yeah i would think you are right not much at all i think that the coaches get paid very well head coach around 10K and fitness around 5K not bad. cricket needs some work at that level i know that the jets approached several of our players over the years asking them to come and capt the lower grades and these guys whilst valuable to our club were on the wrong side of their best form and it was dissappointing for us as we need these types of players to keep clubs like ours strong not to prop up the lower district grades.

[Lightning McQueen]

A very political statement there James, what is the monetary value of a A grade district player.

not sure what you mean

I was commenting on your intellectual statement in regards to sponsorship etc. My second comment was asking if you knew what sort of coin A Grade district players would get, my guess is bugger all.

yeah i would think you are right not much at all i think that the coaches get paid very well head coach around 10K and fitness around 5K not bad. cricket needs some work at that level i know that the jets approached several of our players over the years asking them to come and capt the lower grades and these guys whilst valuable to our club were on the wrong side of their best form and it was dissappointing for us as we need these types of players to keep clubs like ours strong not to prop up the lower district grades.

Well really, who in their right mind would want to go and play B grade district, the hours are long and the rewards aren't there. You would think that it would only entice the young fella's that think that they could crack the state side at some stage of their career.

I would be of the assumption that most clubs wouldn't be paying too many of their A graders either, is this the problem that cricket in SA is facing? There are very accomplished cricketers floating around in the PDCA and probably far more in the ATCA, they are probably not dedicated enough or past any chance to play state cricket, so they go and make a bit of coin playing in lesser comps that don't take up their whole weekend.