January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Some clubs could forfeit season opener
Allen Richardson, vice president of the Bermuda Cricket Board, said some clubs still didn't have their grounds in shape for the opening say of the season on Sunday.
The Open Cricket tournament, originally scheduled to start last weekend, has already been put back once. And with an almost five-week break since the end of football season Richardson said the clubs had sufficient time to get their facilities in order.
He admitted he was not sure how many of the eight games scheduled for Sunday would actually go ahead.
But he said that unless clubs had forewarned the BCB and offered a valid excuse for the ground not being ready, they would forfeit the points.
"This is the latest the season has ever begun. The BFA have tried to finish their season earlier so there has been enough time.
"We have to get the season started this weekend otherwise we will be running until October.
"Those games that can go ahead will go ahead. If any grounds aren't ready and the teams have not provided a valid reason we'll have to decide on that. They may have to forfeit the games."
The league schedule has been revamped again this year with Open Cricket - introduced last year to replace the tired two-day format - kicking off the season.
There will be four groups of three, with the group winners contesting a semi-final and final before the beginning of the 50-over league in early June.
A 15-game limited over's league with each side playing each other home and away will be the mainstay of the season's schedule with a new 20-20 league beginning after Cup Match.
The 20-20 league will feature two pools of eight teams, guaranteeing every club seven matches in the popular shorter format of the game.
The top two in each group will qualify for the semi-finals and final to be played under lights at the national stadium.
The idea, said Richardson, was to inject some life into the end of the season, which traditionally dies off after Cup Match.
"I think it will help keep the interest going and keep cricket in the spotlight after Cup Match," he said.
A host of new measures, gleaned from the ICC Code of Conduct, have also been introduced in a bid to raise the level of professionalism of the domestic game.
Skippers who fail to show up for the toss at least 25 minutes before the start of a match will lose the right to choose whether they bat or bowl and players who are written up for an offence on the field of play will be shown a yellow card to indicate to all that disciplinary action is being taken.
"We're looking forward to a positive season.
"This is where our campaign to requalify for the World Cup in four years time begins. We've shored up our disciplinary procedures and we're trying to implement a lot of the standards of the ICC."
[[In-content Ad]]
Comments:
You must login to comment.