This means finals for A, B and C-grades will start on Saturday, March 5, with grand finals to take place on March 19 for all grades.
D and E-grades will play round 16 as originally scheduled, with the one less week of finals in those competitions meaning that grand final day will still fall on March 19.
Cricket Shepparton president David D’Elia said that having a reserve weekend to play grand finals if COVID-19 was to force any team from fielding a side was the main reason behind this decision.
“It is mainly COVID related in that if we were going to play our grand final on March 26 and there was an issue with one of the two clubs, we didn’t have a spare weekend to reschedule that game,” D’Elia said.
“This decision gives us March 26 up our sleeve, fingers crossed we don’t have to use it and then it gives people an extra week’s break before footy season which is also a bonus.
“Part of the discussion was also in relation to the fact that if nothing else occurs between now and the end of the home and away season, everyone in A-grade and B-grade will have played each other once.”
Getting the season finished as quickly and smoothly as possible was another major factor behind the league’s decision to bring the finals forward, as D’Elia praised the hard work of all clubs to get to this point.
“While it has been a shortened season it has been a long season in relation to the amount of work that has had to get done by clubs and by club officials, it has taken a fair toll on some people,” he said.
“So just to get it over and done with and to finish it off is something we are really keen to do before we prepare for hopefully a more normal season next year.”
As a result of these changes, the Lightfoot Medal presentation night will now take place on Monday, March 14, in the lead up to the grand final the following weekend.
Along with making the decision to shorten the season, Cricket Shepparton also determined the venues of its grand finals.
“In the initial rounds of finals (the two weeks leading into the grand final), the team that finished higher on the ladder gets a choice, that is pending their ground is suitable to host finals,” D’Elia said.
“For the grand finals decisions have been made, the E-grade will take place on the hard wicket at Kialla and then the other grades, depending on who is in them, will be at Kialla Park, Kyabram, Tallygaroopna and Deakin Reserve.”
