Sport
8 July, 2026
BUMPY WICKET
THE DOMINOES are falling the way of rejuvenated Upper Loddon Cricket Association but there could be last minute hitch.
THE DOMINOES are falling the way of rejuvenated Upper Loddon Cricket Association but there could be last minute hitch.
Days after three new clubs said they are “in” for next summer, Kingower has called a meeting for Sunday to discuss moving to Emu Valley association in 2026-2027.
Club president Mark Gilmore said several members had gone to a fact-finding meeting with Bendigo district association would would report to members ahead of a vote.
Kingower has until next week’s Emu Valley association annual meeting to decide whether to make a bid to switch competitions.
The club meeting will also formally decides its position to three new clubs in Upper Loddon.
Charlton and Marnoo have voted to move from the Wimmera Mallee competition, following an earlier decision by St Arnaud to to make Upper Loddon its home next season.
The association executive held meetings with the three clubs last month.
The inclusion of new teams will trigger one of the biggest shake-ups of cricket across North Central in decades and follows last season’s switch to the Horsham association by Donald-based teams.
The new-look Upper Loddon association could have eight teams if the three new clubs are granted membership this month and Kingower decides to remain.
St Arnaud said the increased opportunity for its junior players was the main reason for accepting Upper Loddon’s invitation to join the league.
Charlton, on the other hand, will not enter a junior side in Upper Loddon, with parents happy to continue playing Friday night cricket in Donald.
Club president Adam Soulsby said Charlton would keep open the option of fielding a junior team in the Upper Loddon competition in future years.
“There was not much of a future in the Wimmera Mallee, and we have been looking for the past three or four years to go this way,” he said.
“We have been very loyal to the two main forces behind the league, but they are stepping down and it’s hard to see who will replace them.”
Marnoo’s decision was made based on the Upper Loddon competition being similar to Wimmera Mallee but a more stable option.
“The standard of play is similar, but also most of us are farmers or in rural businesses so the flexibility in game timings around harvest worked in Upper Loddon’s favour,” club spokesman Stuart Lang said.
Upper Loddon has a mix of two-day, one-day and T20 matches, with the short-format competition played for the Loddon Herald trophy. “We’re lacking numbers around harvest time, so something like the T20 is a great option,” Lang said.
Marnoo also wanted to remain as a standalone club and not be forced into a merger.
The club’s juniors will play with St Arnaud in the Upper Loddon association.
Current Upper Loddon clubs Wedderburn, Boort, Kingower, Arnold and Bridgewater are expected to field senior teams in 2026-2027.
- GARY WALSH AND CHRIS EARL
Read More: Loddon Shire