Top-flight pair face a battle of survival
LOCAL cricket’s promotionrelegation battle is heating up, with two of the GCA’s proudest clubs in the gun for a slip to the league’s second division.
Geelong West (11th) and Newtown & Chilwell (12th) occupy the bottom two places in the GCA1 club championship table with a month remaining in the regular season.
But despite their lean season, the Two Blues have valuable credits in the bank from making the finals in 2013-14.
Geelong West has a brutal run home, playing league powerhouses North Geelong and East Belmont in the final two rounds of the season.
The Rams must defend 212 against Bell Post Hill this weekend to keep their heads above water.
Newtown & Chilwell has set St Joseph’s 205 for victory this weekend and then plays Bell Post Hill and North Geelong to round out the season.
Promotion and relegation is worked out on a two-year rolling average, taking into consideration club championship points and an overall club as- sessment that covers grounds, junior teams, player conduct and facilities. Only one club is relegated each season.
Freshly promoted Bell Post Hill is also in the danger zone, sitting third last on the club championship table, but should retain its place in GCA1, barring a major collapse.
Ultimately, Newtown & Chilwell’s last-gasp win over Geelong West last round may end up being the difference when calculations are crunched at season’s end.
GCA2 premiership contender Highton appears in the box seat to earn an automatic
East Belmont 83.5, Geelong City 67.5, North Geelong 66.5, Grovedale 51.5, Murgheboluc 48.5, Leopold 48.5, South Barwon 48.5, Lara 47.5, St Joseph’s 43.5, Bell Post Hill 34.5, Geelong West 30.5, Newtown & Chilwell 29.5
Marshall 73.15; Highton 71.15; St Peter’s 69.25; Thomson 68.29; Torquay 63.53; Modewarre 54.67; St Albans/Breakwater 42.25; Manifold Heights 39.91; Newcomb & District 38.25; Alexander Thomson 24.53; Guild St Mary’s 23.67 Waurn Ponds 25.05
Bannockburn 42.51; Winchelsea 38.27; Shelford 35.27; Meredith 34.65; Bell Park 34.01; Inverleigh 31.55; Corio 29.25; Teesdale 28; Little River 26.17; Corio Bay 18.65; Anakie 16.17; North Shore 12.41; Lethbridge 8.89 return to the region’s top flight, trailing only Marshall for championship points in division two.
But the battle for promotion will be a dogfight that goes down to the final round. St Peter’s, Thomson and Torquay are also in contention to be elevated if results go their way.
Again, it appears there will be no movement between GCA2 and GCA3, with Bell Park, Corio and North Shore — the only division three clubs eligible for promotion — too far down the club championship ladder.
Only clubs with turf wickets Club championship ranking points after Round 10 as
compiled by the GCA are able to be promoted to division two and clubs are also required to field four senior sides.
The GCA will begin the assessment process after the grand final and hopes to have a decision confirmed by May.
Finals results do not have any weight in promotion-relegation calculations.
When clubs are promoted up a division, their on-field score for the first year of the two-year assessment is benchmarked against the ninthplaced team. When clubs are dropped down a division, their on-field score is benchmarked against the third-ranked team.