The Western Province Cricket Association and local leagues and cricket committees are deliberating over which teams will be promoted and relegated ahead of the 2020-21 club cricket season.
The remainder of the 2019-20 WPCA club cricket season was cancelled earlier this week as a preventative measure against the coronavirus pandemic. There was effectively just one round of WPCA premier league and first division fixtures yet to be played at the time of the cancellation.
“Please note that the WPCA local leagues and cricket committees will be in consultation with each other during the course of the week to finalise promotion and relegation of club cricket leagues for the 2019-2020 season as well as other related cricket matters,” read an excerpt from Tuesday’s email from WPCA club cricket and facilities co-ordinator Lindsay O’Malley.
“The outcomes will be communicated towards the end of the week to all clubs. We would also like urge clubs and individuals to refrain from participating in any cricket during this natural disaster as we would like to ensure health and safety is at the forefront during this trying times.”
What the WPCA by-law says about promotion and relegation in ‘abnormal circumstances’
The relevant WPCA by-law states: “The WPCA executive board, in consultation with the WPCA members’ council, may in the event of abnormal circumstances such as a water crisis/drought curtail the season.
“In such an event and provided it is possible to play a single round of matches, promotion and relegation shall be determined by the log standings after the completion of the first round of matches (each team to have played each other team at least once).
“In the event of the commencement of the second round of matches and the season curtails, any second round matches played will not be considered for the purposes of the log positions. To achieve promotion and relegation, provision will be made for all teams who have not completed the first round matches to do so.
“First round matches which have not been completed on the date of curtailment shall be played on a date and at a venue as determined by the WPCA local leagues committee.”