Sunraysia Cricket Association season to open under lights

A MARQUEE rematch of last season’s Sunraysia Cricket Association grand final under lights will open a revamped SCA format for the 2019-20 season.

Mildura Settlers will head to Alcheringa to play Workers Gol Gol on October 5 in a day-night match with a 4pm start, part of new SCA president Andrew Farlie and his board’s decision to shake up the local cricket landscape.

“Workers Gol Gol have just had some lights installed so we’re hoping they are suitable lux levels to be able to play night matches,” Farlie said.

“That will be a good one to watch to start the season … we’re pretty keen to get a few showcase games towards the start.”

Coomealla Wentworth will also host Nichols Point in a day-nighter at George Gordon Oval – with the association’s New South Wales clubs the only ones to have lighting sufficient to play the game.

“We’re hoping down the track to get some grounds with suitable lighting for cricket on this side of the river,” Farlie said.

“We are going to play a couple of night Twenty20s in firsts and seconds, it should be good.”
The 2019-20 season will also feature more Twenty20 cricket.

“Traditionally it’s been seven one dayers, seven two dayers through the season,” Farlie said.

“With the increase in the popularity of the Twenty20 format and wanting to change a few things around we’ve introduced the Twenty20 format for premiership points – so that makes it six rounds of each of the three formats.

The top side after six Twenty20 rounds in First Division will also have the opportunity to represent Sunraysia in the Cricket Victoria statewide cup.

In addition to that, the first and second division Twenty20 and limited overs matches points will accumulate for a white-ball final between the top two sides in February.

Those points will also go to a club’s overall season tally.

Meanwhile, the women’s competition will start on October 11 and the third and fourth division on October 19 – with numbers a concern for clubs early in the season in lower grades.

Third division and fourth division will also now be 60-over innings for two dayers and 30 overs for one dayers, while white balls can be used in one dayers.