Vitriol leads to resignation

Horsham Cricket Association has a vacant management board after members collectively resigned in the wake of criticism over the handling of end-of-season finals.

The board, which in response to the threat of coronavirus ended the 2019-20 season without awarding premierships, came in for both heavy criticism as well as plaudits for its decision.

Criticism was based on a belief by some in the Horsham cricket fraternity that competition minor premiers, teams that had finished the home-and-away season on top of their respective ladders, should have automatically been season premiers.

The board made the decision before finals had started.

The association will now need to vote in a new board and executive at an annual meeting later this year.

Board members released a statement explaining their decision to stand down. Here is the statement – As a result of the decision to abandon senior cricket finals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Horsham Cricket Association board decided it was reflective of current community mood and fair to all member clubs not to award premiers.

The vitriol and action that has been directed at us by some quarters since the board made this decision has been well outside the expectations set by the Spirit of Cricket.

We have always acted with the best interest of Horsham Cricket Association and the traditions of cricket at heart.

It is clear that there are some who believe they can administer Horsham Cricket Association in a different way and that we no longer enjoy their support to make decisions.

We strongly refute this, however, as this criticism has become personal the current Horsham Cricket Association board will be resigning effective 8pm, Friday, March 20, 2020.

Those people who believe they can do better can now have the opportunity to administer the Horsham Cricket Association if the members choose to elect them.

The current Horsham Cricket Association board extends its best wishes to the future of the Horsham Cricket Association community and sincerely hopes this draws a line in what behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable when dealing with volunteer boards and the decisions they make.

Please take care of yourselves in these trying times. – Horsham Cricket Association Board

Season finishes without overall premierships

Horsham Cricket Association’s 201920 season will go into the record books without any team recording an overall premiership.

Association officials, in formally cancelling finals as a result of the COVID-19 virus threat, made the decision for A, B and C Grade competitions.

A statement from the association board reflected a unanimous position.

The statement, released after a board meeting last week reads –

This year we challenged the boundaries of thinking throughout the Horsham Cricket Association clubs and put in place a competition that was uniquely different to what has been done in the past.

We extended cricket to provide all three forms of cricket in a way that all could enjoy.

We moved teams, some against their wishes, to higher grades, we worked with one club to preserve cricket in their town by allowing them to drop a grade and we structured a draw based on assumptions and last year’s performance.

We ended the season with four teams vying for three finals spots in the last round.

Ultimately the fifth team missed a finals position by two runs.

The proof is in the pudding – it was a marvellous season of cricket.

The reality of the unique circumstances that we find ourselves in is that the season has been abandoned prior to entering a final series.

Players have not been picked in teams and umpires not appointed.

2019-20 is a watershed season for Horsham Cricket Association. To call a team a premiership team in a watershed season where a ball hasn’t been delivered in a finals match is not appropriate.

This is the unanimous thoughts of the HCA board.

In the annals of history, 2019-2020 HCA season the A and B Grade twoday premiers and C Grade one-day premiers will be known as: ‘Competition abandoned – COVID-19 Pandemic’. And may we never see the like of it again.

Best wishes for the health of all Horsham Cricket Association club members, supporters and their families. – President Tony Wills, vice-president Paul Morgan, secretary Darren Chesterfield, treasurer Brett Thompson, board member Nick Mcintyre