SUPER eight cricket will be introduced to Goulburn as a way of preventing juniors from straying from the game.
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The Goulburn District Junior Cricket Association believes the new format, which will be a short and sharp, will entice youngsters to stay in the game when they reach the under-10 age group.
In previous years, once a junior had advanced from Milo cricket, they enter proper cricket conditions in matches that can last up to three hours.
Super eight will see eight players a team play 16 overs each.
Each batting pair is guaranteed four overs with a modified plastic ball. Batters will also rotate so each junior has an opportunity to face balls.
Game time will also be cut down from three hours to one hour, 45 minutes.
“This is an attempt to try and get kids back into it. They see it as all too hard, and the parents do too,” Junior association president Danny Yeadon told the Post.
“When my eldest son was playing 11 a side under-10s they were playing proper ball, lbws and playing 8:30am to midday.
“And since then we’ve always struggled for numbers and it’s been hard to recruit.”
Juniors from the Wollondilly junior cricket club and the SPP Joeys trialled the format last year.
One SPP youngster, Cooper Roberts, has been waiting all winter for the cricket season to begin in October.
“It’s fun because everyone gets to bat,” he said.
Registrations for junior cricket begins this Saturday at Centro Mall 10am-1pm, then again on Friday September 12 at Tully Park Indoor Cricket Centre.