By David Nagel
The West Gippsland Cricket Association (WGCA) season is still very fresh in our memories but the association is already taking steps to ensure the future direction of the sport is strong for many more years to come.
The WGCA has two important meetings on the horizon, with a Directions Meeting scheduled for Monday 2 May, followed by its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 31 May.
The Directions Meeting will be a forum to discuss the structure of cricket, and what that looks like moving forward, while the AGM will take on a more traditional format with office bearers appointed and key performance indicators reviewed from last season.
WGCA President Rob Hansen insists the association has taken some positive steps during the 2021/22 season, and has postured itself well for an exciting era moving forward.
“I think there were some really positive steps that were taken, both on and off the field,” Hansen said.
“In regards to on-field, there were some positive discussions and great ideas from right across our WGCA community about what the future of our cricket might look like, and we will discuss those ideas and opportunities at our Directions Meeting on May 2.
“In regards to off-field the introduction of GameFace, and our long-lasting relationship with the Pakenham Gazette, means our community engagement is of high-quality and there is a lot of potential moving forward in that area as well.
“We’re now at the stage of consolidating what we’ve got and building upon it for the future.”
Several initiatives will be tossed around the table at the Directions Meeting, with the return of two-day cricket sure to be high on the agenda.
The impact of Covid saw a later-than-usual start to the 2021/22 season, meaning that one-day cricket was the sole form of participation.
But a return to the traditional format of seven two-dayers and seven one-dayers – to make up the 14-round season – looks likely, although there could be some significant changes to how that looks in the minor grades of competition in particular.
WGCA club Emerald has floated the idea of playing 60-over two-day cricket in the minor grades – from B to F Grade – to lessen the burden on those less equipped to deal with the rigours of the 70-over game.
The 60-over format would also create time – approximately an extra 45 minutes – where players could engage socially and support the first-XI of their clubs during the last hour of play.
The WGCA is keen to boost participation numbers, particularly through the minor grades, and is looking at several ideas to make the game more attractive to potential players.
Other items sure to be high on the agenda include the expansion of female cricket, and dwindling umpire numbers, with dissent towards umpires being a major talking point through the AFL competition in recent times.
Several cricket associations – including the WGCA – are looking at taking a similar stance, with set penalties for player dissent almost certain to be implemented in the near future.
