Joeys, Two Blues catch-up clash called off
ST Joseph’s and Newtown & Chilwell’s GCA1 Covid catchup clash has been called off.
With neither side able to make the finals, the clubs requested it remain a draw.
Two Blues captain Dylan Hodge said with players unavailable due to the long weekend and other commitments on both sides, it was going to be hard to fill teams.
Neither side would have been allowed to call on seconds players who played the same weekend the two clubs were originally scheduled to meet, another reason they requested to keep the fixture a draw.
GCA president Rob Vines said clubs had the option to request that make-up games remain a draw as long as the fixture did not affect the finals match-ups.
It means St Joseph’s finishes the season in fifth position on the GCA1 table, nine points outside the top four.
Newtown & Chilwell ends its campaign in seventh place on 39 points.
However, the GCA3 makeup clash between Newcomb & District and Guild-St Mary’s is scheduled to go ahead.
The Dinos cannot make finals, however Guild-St Mary’s sits top and has a finals series for which to prepare.
Newcomb & District captain-coach Andrew Webb said his side was happy to play, but added that leniency on the rules about who could and could not play would help.
“We’re more than happy to play and we want to play. We want to give Guild a good game of cricket and hopefully upset them,” Webb said.
“I just feel like it’s pretty hard to expect clubs to choose the exact same 11 players that you would have had seven weeks ago.”
Vines said that preventing someone playing twice in the same round was an important integrity measure for the competition.