By JARROD POTTER
FALLING below the seven-player threshold on Saturday, St Francis Xavier Cricket Club was forced to forfeit its West Gippsland Cricket Association (WGCA) District team.
St Francis Xavier was decimated by ill and unavailable players for its District side’s two-day clash against Lyndhurst Vikings, which was set to start on Saturday.
The club’s forfeiture of its District team instead of its 2nd XI in D Grade meant the club could have to forfeit any points accrued in Round 6 in all grades lower than District under WGCA Local Laws Section R.13 sub-clauses 3 and 3.1.
WGCA president Brett Armitage said the league’s intention is to support St Francis Xavier through their problems firstly before deciding if there would be any further actions relating to the forfeiture.
“We’re committed to trying to help them which we have been since the start of the season, to get them through the problem they’ve got,” Armitage said.
“It’s a difficult situation, but one thing the rule does state is that you don’t have to forfeit; there’s no reason not to allow the 2nd XI match to go ahead.
“You’re expected to forfeit your lower grade team but you don’t 100 per cent have to do that.
“From my point of view you don’t want that personally – to not have enough players in a 1st XI competition – but there was a situation that was out of our control and they only had five players while they had D Grade blokes who have been dragged out of places just to fill a team.”
Armitage said talks between the league, St Francis Xavier and Lyndhurst Vikings are under way to potentially reschedule the match as either a one-dayer on Saturday or a two-dayer across the upcoming weekend.
“Between now and Wednesday we hope to be in a position that we could possibly play the game,” Armitage said.
“It has to go through both teams and we need to go through the rules as we don’t want to be in breach of the clubs’ rules – but we’re also there to show leniency and assistance.”
“If it was me and someone came to me and said would you consider doing that, I would highly consider it to get the game played to show that everyone has an opportunity to participate in the game of cricket.”
St Francis Xavier president Leigh Otten said it was an unforseen situation, with the club unable to reach the seven-player minimum required to commence the match, and hoped it would not be an issue again for the club.
“It was obviously an unfortunate situation that the club will look to address,” Otten said.
The matter will be discussed further at a WGCA board meeting scheduled for Tuesday night.
