Warrnambool and District Cricket Association expands finals series, brings in top-eight for 2023

Chairperson Gordon McLeod confirmed to The Standard the 2022-23 finals series - for both divisions one and two - would be expanded from a traditional top-four system to top eights.

The finals will be spread over three weeks rather than two with a qualifying finals round introduced where first will play eighth, second will face seventh, third will meet sixth and fourth will tackle fifth.

The alterations also mean the grand finals will be pushed back a week to Saturday, March 25, leaving no break between cricket finishing and Hampden and Warrnambool and District football and netball seasons starting up on April 1.

McLeod said the changes to the one-day format provided "incentive to keep playing well" while also giving players deprived of game time the past three seasons more opportunities following COVID-19 breaks and washouts.

He said options were thrashed around a presidents' meeting before the board settled on a top-eight.

"We felt it was beneficial to just do a few different things this season to see how it all works for any future time," McLeod told The Standard.

Division one consists of 12 teams and division two of 17.

"We felt playing a qualifying final would give teams that haven't played a lot of cricket (the chance) to play an extra game," McLeod said.

"We have extended the season one week so we can get the quarter-finals in."

McLeod said March 25-26 was originally set aside as a back-up weekend for the grand final.

It will now use Saturday for the grand final and Sunday as its back-up option pending a washout.

"It (finishing the weekend before football) wouldn't happen in normal circumstances," he said.

"There is issues with football encroaching on cricket (at times) but this time we felt we needed to extend our season because we have lost a lot of cricket and it's only two teams (in each grade).

"I think everyone is keen to keep playing cricket."

The association earlier in the season decided to scrap two-day matches and changed its draw to all one-day games after multiple washouts.

But it will move to the red-ball and white uniforms when play resumes on January 14.

The final round has been left open with top to play bottom and so on.

MORE SPORT:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: