LIAM DURKIN
CRICKET
TDCA By LIAM DURKIN THE Traralgon District Cricket Association will resume on Saturday, January 14. Players across the TDCA have been granted an extra week break over new years, as a trade-off for starting the season on October 1 (a week earlier than most other associations across Gippsland). The TDCA has nine more home-and-away games to get through, with all matches being played as one-dayers. A catch-up round is scheduled for Sunday, January 22, trying to create more opportunities to play amid the number of rain-affected matches during October. Unfortunately, record rainfall toward the end of last year played havoc with cricket, but to the credit of TDCA ground staff and officials, there was matches that went ahead in rounds it looked impossible to even get a start. Ex Students will enjoy an extra week off due to the bye on January 14, while ladder-leader Glengarry are the lucky ones who do not have to play the Sunday game. The Magpies and Sharks are the outright leaders on the TDCA ladder; the former 12 points clear of third placed Yarram District. Fourth-placed Toongabbie has a sizeable nine point lead over Imperials, and could sew up a finals position before the end of the month with a few more wins. That being said, one-day cricket presents a lottery element, and it could again come down to the last couple of rounds to determine just who makes the finals. Time is still on the side of teams outside the top four. Rovers were tipped preseason to be one of the competitions big improvers, and could still prove that prediction correct, while Gormandale, win-less so far, could be following a similar script to last season that saw them come home with a wet sail. Gormandale does present an interesting case study, as they still have seven of the 11 that played in the semi-final only two seasons ago. Given it would be rare for a side to drop away so dramatically with only four less players, the Tigers are probably a better team than their current record suggests. Yarram District is looming as the sentimental favourites of the TDCA, and could possibly even be a dark horse. The Pelicans are set to create history by playing their first game on turf at Yarram Recreation Reserve on January 14. ELSEWHERE, the TDCA will play in the Gippsland Cricket League Final on Sunday, February 5. There is still one regular season game to be played (on January 15), but the TDCA is already mathematically assured of playing Sale-Maffra in the decider. By sheer coincidence, that January 15 game will be a grand final preview.
