Cup format proves a divisive issue for players, officials
CRICKET Gold Coast will stand by their controversial limited-overs format for next season’s Kookaburra Cup, despite continued calls for a return to two-day action.
The debate surrounding the fixture list for CGC’s first grade competition has been reignited following confirmation the governing body will stick with the one-day format introduced last season.
However, games will be extended from 40 overs a side to 45 and begin one hour earlier at 11.15am, while a pre-season Twenty20 competition will also run and serve as a selection trial for Gold Coast Thunder team to compete at the Bulls Masters T20 Challenge in September.
The 2017-18 season featured a mix of one-day and T20 games – replacing the two-day fixtures from 2016-17 – amid uncertainty over the availability of grounds in the lead- up to the Commonwealth Games.
The move, believed to be outvoted by the clubs six-to-five before the start of the season, divided players and officials.
One high-profile player has already told the Bulletin he will head to the Gold Coast Dolphins next season in search of two-day cricket, while a prominent club official has also spoken of his desire for the long form.
While club preferences were again split, CGC president Dean Johnson said he was confident the nine-member board had made the right call.
He said clubs that favoured one-day cricket had outlined several key factors – results being finalised within a day; an emphasis on positive cricket; conditions being the same for both teams; increased competitiveness of the competition as a whole; the fairness of each team playing each other twice; less reliance on one or two star bowlers; and players having the chance to bat or bowl every week.
“There’s going to be people who don’t agree and people who do. You can have people at the same club being positive loving the one-day cricket and others not so much. It just depends on each person,” Johnson said.
“I think (last season) was pretty positive in regards to the closeness of the competition.
“It showed with clubs like Helensvale and Burleigh, who hadn’t played first grade finals in a long time and I believe Burleigh hadn’t played finals at all, to have a new premier was a good thing.
“It’s not to say two-day cricket won’t be there next year, it just depends on what everyone thinks and the positives and negatives of one-day cricket compared to two-day cricket. But there was a lot of support for one-day cricket.”
CGC will also reduce the playing time for junior matches next season in line with Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket recommendations, allowing the senior grades to start earlier.