Swaying out of trouble
It’s been a chaotic time for sport and cricket is not immune despite it being the off-season. Cricket Gold Coast president Dean Johnson speaks with Rhys O’Neill about what’s to come.
CRICKET on the Gold Coast isn’t just waiting on the end of the coronavirus crisis.
The sport is hugging a strange place in the landscape given it’s technically the offseason, but it’s more than a pandemic strangling plans.
Through no fault of its own, Aussie rules on the Coast is having an impact on cricket.
Their mutually beneficial arrangement on fields usually means the sports slide past each other as one season ends and the other starts.
Not in 2020.
“We’re basically sitting back and waiting to see what’s going to happen,” Cricket Gold Coast president Dean Johnson said.
“If the Aussie rules season is extended we may be impacted.
“We’ll have a better idea when Aussie rules kicks off and when they plan to have junior finals.
“We’ll then work out if we have to delay the start of our season or look at other things.”
FINALS NO-SHOW
GRASSROOTS cricket is looking at a possible July 1 return, though Cricket Australia is expected to make a call in the coming weeks.
Either way, it’s too late to salvage the Cricket Gold Coast finals, long – and still painfully – collateral damage to coronavirus.
“I remember it so clearly on that Tuesday when we heard about Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket (calling off games),” Johnson said.
“We convened an urgent board meeting and that night we were done – that hurt.
“We didn’t get a lot of backlash, people just understood.
“We looked at whether we could play a semi and grand final on the same weekend to get it done, but we had to do the right thing by the community.”
GAME’S FINANCES
TALK of fiscal pain is savaging cricket at the elite level, leading to former Australian Test stars like Dean Jones to call for protection at the grassroots.
Johnson, for his part, says Cricket Gold Coast is manfully surviving.
The end-of-season awards which usually attract up to 400 guests were cancelled, though any outlay has already been rolled over into next season.
In terms of funding, Johnson says it’s status quo.
“We don’t know much about it at the moment,” he said of Cricket Australia’s troubles.
“We just read about it in the paper so we’ll wait to hear.”
JUNIORS FEES
AS those involved with the MILO in2CRICKET and Junior Blasters seasons wait to see if they can start, Johnson admits the future of their finances also remains an unknown.
Will there be refunds for parents? “Not at this stage,” Johnson said. “But in regards to fees it’s up to each club.
“With Milo and Junior Blasters, Queensland Cricket determine a cost and then each club can charge and extra $5 or so if they choose.
“But that’s still in a holding pattern so we’ll wait and see.”
PROTOCOL PLANS
THE divisive plans to make helmets compulsory could yet be delayed, high fives may be a thing of the past and new methods to shine the ball could help or hinder swing bowlers everywhere.
The true stain of the coronavirus on cricket could equate to the simple things, many of which remain unknown.
“We’re guided by Queensland Cricket and Cricket Australia,” Johnson said.
“There will be something that comes through in regards to social distancing and cricket but we don’t know what that might be.
“It will likely be that they highly recommend your players follow this and this.
“But it’s wait and see and once we hear we’ll take it to the board.”
Johnson admits his board may soon broach the subject of vaccinations, but not just yet.
Plans on helmets, meanwhile, may yet see a revision to keep players in the game.
The thinking had been from 2020-21 to make helmets mandatory for all batsmen of all ages but this could yet turn into a strong encouragement rather than fixed rule.
Even shining the ball could be replaced, with manufacturer Kookaburra reportedly working on alternatives. Who knows which way those results will oscillate.
“That’s going to be interesting to see what that is – is the ball going to swing more?,” Johnson said.
“It will be interesting to see how that impacts things.
“The bowlers say they’ve already got a tough time.”
NEXT SEASON
JOHNSON says cricketers could be on the move in 2020-21, at least in the early parts, to maximise game and minimise the collision with Aussie rules.
Southern grounds Mudgeeraba, Broadbeach, Palm Beach and Surfers Paradise usually become a footballer’s domain throughout winter.
“The good thing is we have got northern grounds like Southport Labrador, Queens, Helensvale, Runaway Bay and Alberton, and even Loganholme,” said Johnson, with the first action generally September’s annual Twenty20 competition.
“Those grounds aren’t being used for football.
“We’re thinking that the footy season will be extended which means some of those grounds are going to be affected leading into the cricket season.
“The back-up plans are to use those northern grounds; whether we’d have to use them on a Saturday and also a Sunday to get games played, those are things we’ve discussed.
“It’s good we have that option if required.”