saintal wrote:Any further rumours of discontent among AEHCA clubs about the one-day decision? Will there be any clubs coming up from A2s?
TVCA appears as though it will also be going with the 45 over format also.
Unfortunately Mt Pleasant/Springton will not field a senior side this year, and Eden Valley will only field one side and wish to only play B Grade. That’ll leave 7 teams in the A’s. With Mt Torrens down to just one side this year (A Grade), the B grade comp is also now left with just 7 sides, assuming EV are not forced to play A’s. Two years ago the league had 18 senior sides, now just 14. A decade ago it would have had 25-30.
The resistance against all one day games appears to be weakening and the committee is pushing the concept, as it may help a few clubs that have struggled in recent years (Mt Torrens, Birdwood, Eden Valley if they stay in As) be more competitive and remain viable. Will also help with scheduling, as again it looks as though there will be a bye.
Juniors wise there isn’t too much around. Lenswood, Birdwood and Springton have U10s and/or U12s, Gumeracha an U16s and Palmer an U15s (I think). A few clubs may be pooling some players to field an U14s. All these teams will play in neighbouring associations.
Interesting times ahead.
There hasn't been any discontent expressed for at least a week now but there is a vote on the rules next Monday night so that might ignite a few tensions. I hope not though as we just need to get on with playing cricket.
AEHCA has had a 7 team A Grade for a few years now and it is pretty ordinary, especially in a comp with 2 day cricket with some teams missing up to 4 and even 5 weeks of cricket in a row at times. Maybe the super league is just around the corner out of necessity to maintain some form of A Grade comp in the Hills as it seems that the better players are concentrated into fewer clubs. Perhaps this is because fewer people are playing cricket, maybe the better players are more likely to play in town, maybe the better players gravitate to the larger and more successful clubs, or maybe a combination of these, whatever it is,, there are fewer A Grade teams and fewer clubs that seem willing to play A Grade.