SOCIAL media was abuzz on Saturday morning when the Hastings River District Cricket Association made the decision to cancel all competition games on February 11.
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Players vented frustration online after the decision was handed down at 10am, following HRDCA’s consultation with Cricket NSW.
Some disappointed club representatives labelled the decision a “poor” one, but Port Pirates president Daniel Duckworth backed the association.
“I don’t think it was a knee-jerk reaction,” he said.
“There’s a lot of older blokes. Sure there’s a lot of younger blokes in first and second grade, but a lot of the lower grades have blokes that aren’t the fittest and this heat will knock them around.”
Players suggested it was a strange decision to cancel a round of a summer sport because of summer conditions.
“I think people are a bit bewildered by the decision because it’s something that has never happened before that I can remember.”
Duckworth said it was important for all clubs to accept the decision.
“If someone today got crook, people would ask why weren’t the games called off.”
The Hastings joined Manning and Macleay in abandoning their competition rounds.
It was after Sydney grade cricket also cancelled their rounds for the first time in 124 years after Cricket NSW put a heat warning out on Thursday.
“They said all cricket in Sydney would be cancelled due to the heat and regional-based competitions would adhere to advising from their relevant association,” Duckworth said.
