Magazine - Just not Cricket

By Editor in Cricket on 4th Oct 2008 6:00

It's just not cricket when your training ground is a dusty, grassless mess. But cricket clubs are banding together to beat the devastating effects of the drought.

As the cricket season kicks off in coming weeks, clubs are beating ground closures and dried-up ovals with innovative schedule changes and ground-sharing plans. And the water shortage has forced a change to the game with the traditional Saturday-only play abandoned and indoor training adopted.

With play about to begin, young cricketers at Frankston’s Overport Park are struggling to get any practice in as their ground crumbles due to lack of water. And Wayne Barr, manager of Baden Powell Cricket Club which trains at Overton Park, said the two at the park will die completely if the dry spell continues in coming years.

The club’s home ground at Baden Powell Reserve has summer grass and is coping well with the water restrictions. “We will lose at least a half or possibly a full year of cricket (this year) because of the state of the grounds,” he said.

“It’s such a shame because we have one of the biggest memberships in the state, but our members can’t train.”

Councils along the peninsula have been battling to save dying grounds by “re-grassing” with warm season varieties, but the pair at Overport Park aren’t suitable . Cricket Victoria’s southeastern game manager Jason Mathers said most main grounds would be converted in the next 10 years.

Four Frankston grounds are closed to help restore the turf and won’t be in use again until after Christmas.

Game development manager for the southern region Adrian Jones said clubs were working hard to manage the ground shortage. “Refixturing is the key and the traditional Saturday-only game is gone, with games now on Friday nights or Sundays” .”

Source & More: leader-news.whereilive.com.au

Read more articles in Cricket, by Editor or from October 2008.