Manning Cricket secretary Yvonne Nash met with council this week to discuss the possibility of playing extra matches at the end of the season-proper.

Under normal circumstances senior cricket would have started the week after the October long weekend and junior cricket soon after.

The State government ban on community sport due to the lockdown made this impossible this season.

Manning juniors are scheduled to start on Saturday, October 30. However, the seniors won't bowl a ball until after December 1, when non-vaccinated players can participate.

Mrs Nash said the priority at the moment is to get both the junior and senior competitions underway.

"We'll continue the negotiating process with council once we've started our competitions,'' she said.

Mrs Nash stressed that cricket won't be encroaching on winter sports.

"There has to be a buffer between the seasons and council wants time to carry out maintenance on the fields for the winter sports,'' Mrs Nash said.

"We will respect that.''

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She pointed out it has been a difficult few years for all sports.

"We had the drought, then rain, floods and the pandemic,'' Mrs Nash said.

Wet weather early this year played havoc with the senior and junior associations' semi-final series. The finale of the previous season was curtailed by the lockdown.

However, she assured the association will look at all avenues to squeeze as many matches into the season as possible. Mrs Nash confirmed that no date has yet been determined for the start of the senior semi-finals.

"We understand that it's been a tough couple of years for local sport and we're considering options to extend the season for some summer sports this year,'' council's manager of open spaces and recreation, Liam Bulley said.

"We're happy to be working with the organisations to ensure everyone gets a fair go and this will continue as winter sports approach.''

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