Heat may delay BPCA restart

EXTREME heat threatens to delay the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association’s return in 2018.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a temperature of 42C for Saturday.

In those conditions, scheduled BPCA two-day matches would be delayed and revert to one-dayers on Saturday week.

But under league rules a decision on whether play goes ahead or is cancelled won’t be made until 8 on Saturday morning, using that day’s BoM forecast.

BPCA president Ian Caldwell said the rules were in place so that the most accurate decision could be made.

“In the event that the fore- cast temperature made by the BoM for Geelong is 40 degrees or higher at 8am on the day cricket is scheduled to be played, the BPCA executive shall cancel that day’s play for all senior grade matches,” Caldwell said.

“Even though at 7pm on Friday evening it may be forecast to be 42, for example, we’ve got to wait until 8am for that confirmation because overnight there could be other factors that might come in.

“Or it might be 39 degrees and that could be revised upwards (in the morning).”

Only A Grade and B Grade matches return this weekend for double headers, with C and D Grade seasons resuming on Saturday, January 13.

The GCA and Premier Cricket also returns Saturday week.