THE region’s ongoing heatwave has caused the Gunnedah District Cricket Association to abandon Saturday’s first and second grade action, on a day when the temperature reached 41.5 degrees.
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The call to cancel the day’s play was made on Friday night following the opening night of the Gunnedah Premier League Twenty20 competition.
Association secretary James Mack said the decision was made with “the players welfare in mind”.
“A few of us from the committee got together on Friday night and discussed the possibility of calling off the games for today [Saturday],” Mack said.
“Normally, we would have played and included more drinks breaks and that sort of thing, but we decided it was probably in everyone’s best interest not to take the field this time.
“It has been hot for quite a while now and I know it was pretty tough last week in the heat so were confident it’s the right call.”
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Mack said the call to cancel the games was “something we haven’t done for a long time.”
“We would normally tough it out and play, but it really is a decision made with the welfare of players and umpires in mind,” he said.
“At the end of the day, cricket is meant to be fun and if something were to happen due to the heat then it would be really unfortunate.
“I know plenty of other leagues around that have a heat policy and it is there for a reason.”
Saturday’s two-day first grade games between Kookaburras and Court House and Albion and Mornington, will now be played on February 2.
“Given there’s no cricket on Australia Day it will be a good chance for everyone to have a couple of weeks break,” Mack said.
“Hopefully things should have cooled down by then, but I don’t like our chances.”
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
