By ROY WARD
PREMIER Cricket first and second XI game days could be reduced by an hour and more Twenty20 games added to the schedule at the Cricket Victoria delegates meeting tonight.
Club delegates will be asked to decide on those options and some other proposed changes so Premier Cricket officials can finalise plans for the 2012-2013 season.
Premier Cricket men’s co-ordinator Peter Binns said first XI two-day matches could start at noon instead of 11am if the change was approved.
“The main reason for first XI sides playing 100-over days was because the league was seen as a stepping stone to first-class cricket,” he said.
“That is really I guess a step further away these days. Premier Cricket is still where players are discovered but they don’t go straight into first-class cricket.”
Binns said the reduction in time would also benefit club volunteers and could help keep older players in Premier Cricket.
“It’s also important to reduce the workload of our volunteers as well. It’s a long day with players arriving from 9am and a lot of late finishes meaning people don’t get out of the ground until 9pm.
“We also want to try and retain older players for a bit longer, instead of them going for shorter days in sub-district cricket or club cricket.”
Twenty20 matches this past season were played within a separate competition, with the points from each game only counting within the Twenty20 competition.
Binns said delegates would vote on the proposal to put Twenty20 points on the overall competition ladders.
He said first XI sides could play up to six Twenty20 games this season, with some on weekends and others played midweek.
The remaining grades would play four Twenty20 games. “Two seasons ago Twenty20 games were part of the season program, then clubs voted that out so last season it was a separate competition,” Binns said. “It looks like it will come back in this year.”
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