Geraldton Regional Cricket Board meet for AGM to discuss upcoming season

The Geraldton Regional Cricket Board’s AGM attracted 22 attendees on Wednesday, September 6, which hopefully bodes well for the coming season. Nic Rafanelli will saddle up for a 13th year as GRCB president and Clint Yeates was re-elected unopposed as vice-president. Stage A and B-grade are scheduled to start on October 14 and the women’s competition on October 22, but late changes are possible. A-grade will comprise 16 rounds, including four rounds of T20 under lights, with each of the five clubs to play the others once. The T20s form part of the main competition but also constitute a separate league. The two highest-placed teams will play a final. B-grade’s six teams will play 15 games each but there was no push for T20s to again be included in this competition. Grand finals for A and B-grade are listed for March 16 and the board has made provision for a reserve day on March 23 in case weather washes out March 16. Four teams playing 12 games each will contest the women’s competition, playing a mix of T20 and 30-over games on turf and synthetic pitches. There was a suggestion they play only T20s, as that’s the format used at country week, but that was rejected as longer fixtures give more players opportunities to develop skills. However, a push to tighten up on deliveries that pitch outside leg stump was supported and some other rule changes were mooted. Two men’s teams will be sent to country week in Perth in January. The top side will be in A-section for a ninth successive year while the second side, in B-section, will also be a development team. Bunbury will again host women’s country week in late March. The GRCB plans to mirror last year’s effort and send two sides.