Twenty20 cricket to play more important role in Wagga cricket season

The format for the 2018-19 season has been altered to include more the shortest format of the game.

Last season there was a three-week Twenty20 competition before the competition really started, including semi-finals and a final, but that has been removed.

Now each team will play each other once in both Twenty20, one-day and two-day formats.

All three formats will figure into determining the top four sides for finals.

Wagga Cricket president Eric Koetz believes the new-look season will be more balanced.

“Everything counts towards the finals so there is just the one final with no one-day or T20 final,” Koetz said.

“We wanted to play everyone once in the same format rather than having an uneven draw.

“So there is one round of T20s, which is becoming more popular, and gets guys ready for the Big Bash.”

The one-day final has also been removed from the draw.

It has been played on and off over the last decade, but after being back for the last two seasons won’t be played for again in 2018-19.

As it stands the season will get under way on October 6.

There will be two Twenty20 rounds, two one-day rounds and two two-day rounds to start the season before three more one-dayers heading into the Christmas break.

Cricket resumes on January 5 with more Twenty20s before a general bye for the Australia Day weekend then three more two-day rounds heading into the finals series.

Koetz said the Twenty20s have been strategically placed in the draw.

"We’re trying to cater for that start of season and just after Christmas when player unavailability is always a bit of an issue,” he said.

"We are trying to be a bit flexible with the draw starting with some shorter stuff, into the one-dayers and then two-dayers.”

The grand final will be held over March 30 and 31.

Considering where Easter falls in the calendar next year, the season finale is a week later than when Lake Albert downed South Wagga in a rain-affected affair.

The date did cause some concern over the availability of Robertson Oval.

With Wagga City Council looking to oversow the ground in preparation for the football season, the city’s premier cricket ground was initially made unavailable for both the preliminary final and grand final.

However Wagga Cricket were able to rectify the situation.

Koetz was pleased to have it sorted so swiftly.

“It is where everyone wants to play and where everyone wants to watch it,” he said.

READ MORE