The big heat saw the whites packed away for the weekend.
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While Friday night’s Premier League Twenty20 games went ahead, all Saturday junior and senior grade cricket was cancelled with officials heeding the recommendations of Cricket NSW.
Player and umpire safety was the paramount issue and saw Sunday’s Northern Inland Cricket Council junior and senior fixtures abandoned as well.
“We thought it was pretty risky going out after being advised not to,” Gunnedah District Cricket Association treasurer Troy Sands said.
With the mercury forecast to hit the mid-40s on Saturday, they had made provisions.
“We had pre-planned to shorten the games,” Sands said.
“Third grade was going to go from 30 overs to 20, second grade from 40 to 30, with extra drinks breaks.”
“First grade we were going to split time because it was a two-day game.
“We were going to bat for two-and-half hours each still under two day rules.”
The first day of the second last round, his Kookaburras side were scheduled to play Court House with Albion and Mornington matching up in the other game.
The second and third grade games were one-dayers and will be classified as draws.
“Third grade play all one-dayers,” Sands said.
“Second grade play only one two-dayer.”
The junior association had made the decision on Friday to cancel all Milo T20 Blast, Under 13 and Under 16 games.
NICC junior officials also elected to postpone Sunday’s round 6 games, although Gunnedah wasn’t going to be involved in those, having the bye.
Gunnedah’s Second XI were though set to play Quirindi in the final round of the Connolly Cup.
That competition was cancelled on Saturday morning and deemed a wash-out.
The points saw Gunnedah secure the final spot in the semi-finals, joining Tamworth Blue, Armidale Second XI and Gwydir. The semis will be play on Sunday with Gunnedah traveling over to Tamworth and Armidale hosting Gwydir.
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