All that’s left is to send down the first ball, and with a full fixture now available, the “when” is now laid out.
That’s set to occur on Saturday, November 13 across the men’s competition, followed by both the A-grade and B-grade women’s competition the next day, on Sunday the 14th.
For fans of the longer format, GMC will hold the distinction of being one of the few leagues in Victoria to play two-day cricket, with the first 80-overs-a-side contest scheduled for round five across December 11 and 18.
The final month of the home and away season — February — will then consist exclusively of two-day fixtures in the lead-up to finals.
B-grade through to D-grade will compete under the traditional one-day format, as will A- and B-grade women’s cricket.
A-grade will play 11 games this year to accommodate the two-day fixtures, in comparison to the 14-round campaigns of the remaining grades.
The women’s competitions will consist of 10 matches in A-grade, and eight in B-grade.
The wait for an A-grade grand final rematch will be a short one — Echuca and reigning premier Kyabram Fire Brigade will go head-to-head in the opening round at Northern Oval, the first time since Ky’s rout of the men in green back in March.
League newcomers Nondies-Cohuna and Leitchville-Gunbower face off in the first round, meaning either is likely to log a maiden GMC victory first-up.
However, first knock of the Goulburn Murray Cricket season will be had by league juniors next Thursday.
Junior cricket start dates have been confirmed by the GMC, with a full fixture provided for the under-14 and under-16 age brackets, including the home and away season and T20 competition.
Under-14 cricketers will get their season under way first on November 4, followed by under-16s for Friday evening fixtures on Friday, November 5.
Their seven-round home and away season will be followed by semi-finals on February 20 and a grand final on February 27.
The under-16s will follow that up with the start of their T20 competition over the weekend of November 6 and 7.
Finals dates and venues are still to be confirmed for senior cricketers.
