By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
The availability of a new turf wicket has allowed a Moorabool cricket club to change leagues, which its president says is a move that\u2019s been wanted for decades.<\/p>\n
The Bacchus Marsh Cricket Club announced on 28 July that the club had been officially accepted into the Ballarat Cricket Association (BCA) for the upcoming 2023-24 season, thanks to the works taking place at the Bacchus Marsh Racecourse and Recreation Reserve.<\/p>\n
Club President David Kraljik said it was an exciting time for the club, following a special general meeting that saw the move unanimously approved.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really excited, it\u2019s going to be a really exciting transition into that turf world of cricket I guess, which we\u2019ve been as a club talking about for at least the last 20 years. We\u2019ve been talking about a turf wicket, but never really had the opportunity to develop a turf wicket within Bacchus Marsh until now,\u201d Mr Kraljik told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had talks with Ballarat in the past but haven\u2019t been able to entertain moving to that competition, since we didn\u2019t have a turf wicket. One of the criteria for clubs in their A Grade competition is to have a turf wicket available. It\u2019s been two years of serious talks really with the BCA.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Kraljik believes the move to the BCA from the Gisborne & District Cricket Association (GDCA) will bring a range of benefits for the Bulls.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see it as a higher standard of cricket certainly. It\u2019s also a great opportunity to attract and retain quality players, including players currently at the club, and just improve the standard of cricket generally throughout all of our grades. Also, being a turf competition, it makes the club more attractive for players to come back to, that have maybe moved to play cricket in Melbourne or elsewhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also gives opportunity for our juniors and our women\u2019s side to play on turf, which everyone wants to do. It gives them the option to be able to play that higher standard of cricket and develop.\u201d<\/p>\n
The move to the BCA will allow the Bulls to take on not just strong Ballarat clubs such as Napoleons-Sebastopol and Ballarat-Redan, but also the crosstown Darley Lions, in what is sure to be a great rivalry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis The availability of a new turf wicket has allowed a Moorabool cricket club to change leagues, which its president says is a move that\u2019s been wanted for decades. The Bacchus Marsh Cricket Club announced on 28 July that the club had been officially accepted into the Ballarat Cricket Association (BCA) for the […]<\/p>\n