GMC president Jason Turner said COVID had affected 13 of his association’s 16 clubs in some way or another, which left no other option to postpone last Saturday’s round. It will now be played on a Sunday in February.
If the green light is given tonight for the season to continue it will mean there will be two rounds of A grade cricket played this weekend.
The round listed in the normal fixture will be played on Saturday and a catch-up round from the postponed opening round will be played on Sunday.
But B, C and D grade games scheduled for last Saturday won’t be played, with teams to share the premiership points and the normal fixture to continue.
The young Cooma side can keep itself in finals reckoning this weekend with winnable games against Echuca South at Echuca on Saturday and against Leitchville-Gunbower at home on Sunday.
Last year’s grand finalist Kyabram Fire Brigade and Echuca clash at Kyabram’s Northern Oval this Sunday while the Flames will meet bottom side Echuca South on Saturday in an effort to get their season back on track.
Dual premiership coach Peter Learmonth has taken over the reins again at Fire Brigade, which lost its last two games leading up to the festive break.
Games listed for this weekend:
SATURDAY: Cooma v Leitchville-Gunbower, Fire Brigade v Echuca South, Moama v BLU, Nondies Cohuna v Echuca, Rochester bye.
SUNDAY: Fire Brigade v Echuca, BLU v Rochester, Echuca South v Cooma, Nondies Echuca v Leitchville Gunbower. Moama bye.
• Cricket Shepparton was due to meet earlier this week to decide its next move.
It postponed last Saturday’s seventh round of Haisman Shield games to Saturday, February 26 due to COVID issues affecting several clubs last week.
All minor grades will share points from Saturday’s cancelled round.
Cricket Shepparton also postponed its opening round of Big Bash games scheduled to be played last Sunday at Shepparton’s Deakin Reserve.
Decisions on the domestic season and the Bush Bash competition will be made at this week’s meeting.