Wagga Cricket decide on a November 6 weekend start date for upcoming season

The Wagga Cricket board met on Wednesday night and have locked in the weekend of Saturday November 6 as the start of the 2021-22 season.

Both junior and senior cricket will begin on the one weekend, with some of the younger grades to kick the season off on the Friday night.

The November start comes as COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination numbers forced a delay to the start of the season.

Wagga Cricket operations manager Paul McKelvie expects that the November start date won't cause any issues.

"Basically we're looking at the 6^th November. We still need some time to train and things," McKelvie said.

Wagga Cricket has also settled on a grand final date of Saturday, March 19. With the uncertainty around COVID-19 still lingering, that date could prove important as the sport won't push any further back than that date.

"We spoke (Wednesday) night, we learnt a bit from the football," McKelvie said.

"We don't want to be seen to be stretching it out. We just want to do, there's our markers, we'll work between them two dates and whatever happens happens."

Another important decision was made around COVID-19. Wagga Cricket decided that 10 games would determine a season proper, with awards and premierships presented.

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"We did talk about if we go into lockdown again, what happens, all the different COVID scenarios," he said.

"With the unknown that went on with football, every code didn't know what was going on and trying to work every different scenario. So we talked about, let's look at what happens if there is a lockdown, what constitutes an actual competition and we decided on 10 games. Two thirds of our season. To be able to award best and fairests and premiers.

"That's the way we've always worked. We've never had stand alone weekends. If the grand final is washed out, and it is first v second, first always win."

Wagga Cricket is still working through the draw, which is expected to be finalised within the coming week.

It will include the Festival of Cricket again, a Twenty20 competition to run through January.

McKelvie added that Wagga Cricket is hopeful of welcoming many new and returning players given the current climate.

"We think we might get some blokes who are just looking for something to do after not being able to do much for a while," he said.

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