Sport
18 March, 2024
Heat of battle - how sports adapted to semi-final heat
RESCHEDULING of Loddon sport finals finals saw a defending premier dramatically drop out of the race for another flag. But while tennis and bowls start times were changed to avoid playing in temperatures nudging 40 degrees, local cricketers still...
RESCHEDULING of Loddon sport finals finals saw a defending premier dramatically drop out of the race for another flag.
But while tennis and bowls start times were changed to avoid playing in temperatures nudging 40 degrees, local cricketers still battled the searing afternoon heat.
Loddon Valley Tennis Association adhered to Tennis Victoria rules requiring competitions to avoid playing matches when the temperature was above 38 degrees.
Officials told clubs on Friday that the normal 1pm start time had been brought forward to 10am.
The earlier start ruled out defending premiers Mincha West, unable to muster team numbers for the earlier start. Mincha West had been drawn to meet Raywood in one of two semi-finals at Dingee.
Raywood gained the walkover entry into this Saturday’s grand final against Calivil North who accounted for Dingee in the other semi-final.
Hot weather last season saw the association abandon semi-finals under its heat policy with the top ladder sides automatically advancing to the grand final.
Upper Loddon Cricket Association, however, does apply its heat policy in finals.
During the home and away season, a forecast temperature 40 degrees or above on Friday evening television news sees games abandoned.
Boort and Wedderburn had agreed to start play earlier in their semi-final on Saturday but a request to the association was refused.
Association president Wendy Murphy said: “Wedderburn and Boort did come to the finals meeting on Monday evening last week and said they had agreed to begin play earlier.
“However, this does not meet the relevant sections of the ULCA Constitution and which have been in the constitution for several years now which is provided to all clubs soon after the ULCA annual general meeting each year,” she said.
“If the two clubs had approached the secretary or myself as president to put that idea forward prior to the finals meeting, a permit and rules committee meeting could have been arranged to hear the request.
“There was no protest at the finals meeting when the ruling of the constitution was referred to.”
Murphy said all clubs are able to bring requested changes to the constitution to the annual general meeting.
“The suggested changes must be received by the ULCA secretary at least two weeks prior to the annual meeting to allow circulation to all clubs to review to form an opinion to vote on at the annual general meeting,” Murphy said.
The home and away season heat rule for the associations senior competition says: “In both one and two day games, if the predicted temperature on the WIN News bulletin on Friday evening is 40 degrees or above, no play will take place on that day.
“If this occurs on the first day of a two-day game, then the game will become a one day fixture the following week.
“If the heat rule occurs on the second day of a two day match, the match will be considered a draw unless a result had already been reached on the first day, in which case the result will stand,” says the rule. All senior matches this season have again been one-day encounters.
The finals’ rule only states number of overs played.