Loss of Lions leaves five A-grade teams

For the first time in 14 years the Albany Cricket Association A-grade competition will be reduced to five teams after traditional club Royals elected not to field a team in the top-tier competition this season.

The Lions won the wooden spoon last season after winning only four games in the regular 50-over format and held a special meeting in May to discuss the future of their A-grade team with senior players leaving town or switching clubs.

While the Lions’ original intention was to continue to field teams in both A-grade and B-grade this season, at the ACA annual general meeting in July, the club made the decision to nominate only one team for the B-grade competition.

The move comes after a tumultuous few years for the Lions.

They have finished last on three occasions since 2010-11.

They reached the finals in 2011-12 and enjoyed a rise back up the ladder in 2014-15 with seven wins, but were eliminated in the first semifinal.

The A-grade competition has had six teams since the 2002-03 season, when Raiders were promoted from the B-grade and replaced by Denmark in 2004-05.

ACA president Terry Eaton said it was extremely disappointing to lose the Lions from the A-grade competition.

“It is out of our control but it is disappointing,” Eaton said.

“Especially to see guys leave and go to other clubs, it’s disappointing they didn’t stick around to try to keep things going.

“It is pretty sad that it has happened as every four or five weeks we had 11 or 12 guys missing out on a game (with the forced bye).”

The ACA will toss up a number of ideas in an attempt at gaining a sixth A-grade team in the coming seasons.

Eaton said the fixtures for the upcoming season were set to be confirmed at an executive meeting next Monday but confirmed the Twenty20 competition had been scrapped.

Last season the Twenty20 competition featured five rounds and a standalone final but with the loss of an A-grade team, clubs decided against continuing that format.

In other news, Great Southern Grammar will field only one B-grade side after forming an alliance with North County, while Railways will field a second B-grade side this season.

Eaton also said the use of the new turf wickets at the North Road ovals for A-grade matches was unlikely before late January.