Bewildered Tigers demand a rethink

THOMSON champion Grant Dew has called for greater transparency around the promotion-relegation system after the Tigers were yesterday bumped to Division 3 for next summer.

Dew, a former GCA president, said his club was “extremely disappointed” to be bouncing between divisions for the third year in a row.

At the end of 2016-17, the club was dropped from Division 2 to Division 3 as part of the GCA restructure, but the Tigers claimed a premiership last summer to earn promotion back into GCA2. Now they’re back in GCA3.

“It’s frustrating we got put down to Division 3 two years ago, won a premiership in Division 3, came back up and then we’re competitive in Division 2 and to go straight back down is frustrating,” Dew said.

“At the moment there’s no transparency in the system.

“During the course of the assessment process, clubs are given their own (assessments), which is fine — I don’t have a problem with that — but no one knows if they’re safe or not safe, if they’re doing better or worse than anyone else and how they sit.

“I think the GCA needs to shine light on this process.

“We accepted the GCA decision, we worked really hard, we won a premiership, came up, were a competitive side, yet here we are again.”

Dew also questioned the club championship system after his club’s first XI won four games, while bottom-placed Manifold Heights has survived relegation, despite going winless.

“To get relegated when another team was uncompetitive, did not win a single game, is frustrating,” he said.

“It’s frustrating for our cricket and all involved in the Thomson family.”

Manifold Heights was one of the better second XI teams in 2018-19, winning eight matches to finish second on the ladder, while Thomson won three games to finish second-last.

Asked whether a strong second XI side could make up for a poor first XI side and allow a club to avoid relegation under the current system, Dew replied: “That’s a fact, that’s an undeniable fact.

“The way this system is constructed and what’s happened this year, what does that say for the integrity of the competition?” he added.

“I’m not saying they (Manifold Heights) acted improperly, but the incentive to put out a more competitive first XI team probably wasn’t the greatest thing on their mind.

“They are working within the system we’ve all got.”

Dew said the club was left with no option but to accept relegation for 2019-2020.