NSW Country Cricket officials say they won’t accept playing this year’s Plan B Regional Bash finals anywhere other than the Sydney Cricket Ground after being left “naturally disappointed” following the axing of the original December 2 scheduling.
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The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust informed NSW Country Cricket of the decision to remove the Regional Bash finals day from the ground’s calendar after a clash with the Cricket Australia XI versus India four-day game.
The SCG Trust told Country Programs manager Bruce Whitehouse there are no free dates left in 2018, meaning the Plan B Regional Bash finals will have to be staged in the new year.
But with the rebuilding of Allianz Stadium forcing A-League club Sydney FC and NRL premiers the Sydney Roosters next door to the SCG, as well as the ground’s long-standing commitments with the new year Test, the Sydney Sixers’ Big Bash scheduling and then Sydney Swans pre-season games, finding a free Sunday to play the Regional Bash’s finals looks an increasingly impossible task.
Whitehouse, though, said it was crucial the games were played at the SCG.
With no SCG Cup in the NSW Country Cricket program anymore, the Plan B Regional Bash is the only chance country cricketers have to play on the best ground in the state.
For that reason Whitehouse says the competition is special, and its biggest games deserve the prestige of being staged at the SCG.
The four teams that qualified for this year’s finals – the Central West Wranglers, Coffs Coast Chargers, ACT Aces and Central Coast Rush – are all first time qualifiers, too.
“Naturally we’re disappointed, particularly for the sides,” Whitehouse said of the scraping of the December 2 date.
“We wouldn't accept going anywhere else. It’s a special day and needs to be. We’re prepared to wait and see if we can work around the schedule.”
Whitehouse was hopeful of having a confirmed date by the weekend.
“We’re keen to get it done. I know the Central West boys are eager to play at the SCG,” he added.
"We're just guided by our people that deal with the SCG Trust. We were told there’s no availability before Christmas, so we asked them to go back and see about the new year."