WPCA delay start of 2023-24 club cricket season

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Posted By: Editorial October 3, 2023

The Western Province Cricket Association have delayed the start of the 2023-24 club season by one week.

The 2023-24 WPCA season was scheduled to start on 7 October. This has been moved to 14 October after last month’s heavy rainfall in Cape Town and surrounds. Several clubs were unable to adequately prepare venues for the original start date.

What the WPCA said

“There has been an influx of reports from the WPCA club delegates, City of Cape Town officials and various stakeholders with regards to the status of our facilities in the Cape metropole, particularly after the torrential rain experienced in the last three weeks,” read a statement from the WPCA.

“All our facilities have experienced a plethora of rainfall, resulting in extremely soft and wet outfields, which subsequently hampers the ability to prepare matchday strips.

“The WPCA held an urgent meeting with senior City of Cape Town facilities to ascertain the readiness of facilities from a municipal point of view, which proved to be consistent with the reports that have come in.

“The final step was to meet with the premier league and first division A club delegates to discuss the recommendation presented by the WPCA cricket committee.

“It has been concluded that at least 60 percent of our facilities – private and municipal – will not be playable by this coming weekend due to the reasons mentioned above. The facilities that might be playable will not be conducive to good cricket due to the soft nature thereof.

“Further inspections will be done on all municipal facilities by the WPCA in conjunction with the City of Cape Town in the next seven days. All matches scheduled for this weekend in the premier league, first division A, reserve division A, B and G – and second division – will be postponed to Sunday, 26 November 2023.”

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Previous delays

Since 2018, WPCA club cricket seasons have been subjected to several delays and cancellations amid the coronavirus pandemic, drought in the Western Cape and other reasons.

Last month, the start of the 2023 edition of the Cape Premier League was postponed.

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