Premier Cricket washed out, but all GCA matches expected to go ahead

GEELONG cricket will press ahead today, despite rain wreaking havoc across the state.

As today’s Victorian Premier Cricket action was declared a wash-out yesterday, Geelong Cricket Association president Barry McFarlane last night confirmed there had been no call to abandon today’s turf and hard-wicket grades in the GCA.

Clubs will be expected to report to grounds as normal.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll get a start,” McFarlane said.

“It definitely hasn’t been called off. Clubs were asked from Tuesday night to have covers down, and every club I’ve driven past had the covers down, so I think we’ll be right to play.

“It just depends what hap- pens between now and lunchtime tomorrow (today), but at this stage there’s no intention of not playing.”

Despite persistent rain this week, McFarlane said no grounds in the region had been declared unfit for play.

“Not to my knowledge,” he said.

“They’re all fine at this point in time. We might be fortunate because I know Melbourne copped a lot of rain, almost an inch, in some parts.

“Lara had a lot of rain earlier in the week, but that’s a fast drying ground and they’ve got covers that cover virtually their entire square. So hopefully we’ll be playing cricket.”

This weekend’s round of Premier cricket was abandoned yesterday, with the two-day fixture reverted to a one-day match next week, after a host of grounds were deemed unplayable.

Lara 2-365 v Bell Post Hill; Leopold v St Joseph’s 271; Newtown & Chilwell 160 v Grovedale 2-24; Geelong City 248 v North Geelong; South Barwon 150 v East Belmont 2-70. Torquay 9-227 (dec) v Thomson 0-16; Murgheboluc 7-279 v Marshall; Bell Park 9-257 v Manifold Heights; St Peter’s 262 v Highton.

St Albans Breakwater 8-155 v Waurn Ponds-Deakin 128; Geelong West 0-15 v Alexander Thomson 275; Teesdale 255 v Corio 4-78; Guild-Saints 203 v Bannockburn 4-21; Newcomb & District 165 v Modewarre 0-15. Anglesea 220 v Collendina; Barrabool v Portarlington 9-263; Drysdale v Ocean Grove 264; Jan Juc v Barwon Heads 218. Little River 148 v Inverleigh; Wallington 0-0 v St Leonards 231; Winchelsea 1-58 v Queenscliff 128; Ocean Grove 7-249 v Newcomb