Bold bid for T20 team hots up

THE group behind Geelong’s push for a T20 franchise will present a fresh paper to Cricket Victoria outlining a “compelling” reason to bring a national team to the city.

Long-time cricket administrator David Kelly, the new chair of the Geelong T20 steering committee, revealed the 14-member panel is set to hand a bold submission to Cricket Victoria to strengthen its hopes of entering the Big Bash League in 2018-19.

While a decision on the proposed expansion won’t be made until Network 10s broadcast rights finish at the end of the 2017-18 season, Kelly believes Geelong’s bid for a franchise is gathering momentum.

“I’m extremely optimistic,” Kelly said. “If we could get a tick to say we are regarded as in the next wave of clubs to be considered, that’s what we want.”

With Canberra and the Gold Coast believed to be compiling submission to join the BBL, Geelong’s T20 group is determined to stay ahead of the game.

The submission will hit Cricket Victoria’s Jolimont offices by the end of the month, detailing a “low-risk” policy that will deliver growth to cricket and financial gain to the region. “It has to be so compelling that it convinces the board at Cricket Victoria to become advocates so when the opportunity arises for Cricket Australia to expand the fixture, we’re first in line,” Kelly said.

“We all accept that there will be no changes in the fixturing for two years. But we want the Geelong cricket community to be ready for when the door opens.

“By the end of October, the group will be in a position to continue to work with Cricket Victoria’s finance department, and work closely with the Simonds Stadium Trust, to move forward. Remember, the project belongs to Cricket Australia, the license belong to the states.”

Kelly, who replaced Michael King as the head of the T20 group, is confident the submission will prove “too good to be refused”.

“The whole document is very detailed, but to make it compelling, we have to have a significant difference to the other two franchises,” Kelly said. “To our advantage, we have a clean stadium. We are not inhibited by any 12-month membership component and all seats are available for purchase on match day, a maximum of 40,000.

“We are not Geelong centric, we are regional centric. This is to bring international standard cricket to the region.”