Maitland District Cricket Association will employ Cricket NSW's heat policy in deciding if games need to be called off on the weekend.
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A blanket ban on games will apply if the temperature on the day is predicted by the Bureau of Meterology to be 43 or higher at it’s 4pm update the day before.
Extra drinks breaks will be mandated if the temperature is predicted to be 35-plus.
Maitland cricket’s Mark Warland said play would be immediately called off on the day if the “Feels like” temperature reaches 43 degrees.
“Cricket’s obviously a summer game, but we will not be taking any risks with players’ safety and welfare,” Warland said.
“We ask captains and umpires to keep an eye on the ‘feels like’ temperature app on their mobile phones, if it gets to 43 then players must come off,” he said.
The forecast for Friday is 43 degrees, however at this stage it is predicted to fall to a maximum of 35 on Saturday and 30 on Sunday.
The heat will be on as far as results are concerned as well with all four games very much alive going into day two.
Western Suburbs co-captain Mitchell Fisher said a late collapse by the Plovers was the difference between defending a total of 280 rather than the 208 they made on day one against Thornton.
“We had about 170 on the board with plenty of wickets in hand but we lost five quick wickets after Shannon (Threlfo) and Tony Fuller and Bill (Justin Lantry) got us of to a really solid start,” he said.
Threlfo and Fuller equal top-scored with 55 and Lantry made 46 and Fisher picked up two important wickets as Thornton finished the day on 2/56.
“The two wickets were important as Jono Gabriel (35) in particular was batting very well,” Fisher said.
“I’m confident we can defend our score, but we need to start with a couple of early wickets to get on top.”
Port Stephens’ spinner Jason Eveleigh spun his side into a commanding position taking 6/19 against Northern Suburbs dismissing them for just 152 on day one of their two-day encounter.
The Pythons resume on 0/19 with Matthew Monaghan on 10 and Dion Horne 7 and Jarred and Josh Moxey and Grant Garland, who have been the side’s best with the bat this season, still to bat.
Kurri Weston skipper Josh Tuckwell believe his side was about 20-30 runs short of what they needed against City United in their top of the table clash at Kurri Central last Saturday.
Kurri Weston managed to post 208 thanks to a vital 70 from teenage all-rounder Isaac Barry and important knocks of 38 by Simon Marshall and 31 by Liam Neild.
“We really need to get some early wickets but hopefully Alex (Seamer) and Jack (Sylvester) can get the job done for us,” Tuckwell said.
City will resume on 2-49 with Ricky Dent on 16 and Matt Latham 10, after Neild and Steve Abel picked up a wicket each.
A crucial 71-run seventh wicket partnership between Lucas Sargent (44) and Jesse Budden (37) enabled Eastern Suburbs to post a defendable 204 against Raymond Terrace at East Maitland Park.
Easts made a strong start with an opening stand of 59 between Jack Bennett (36) and Will Stoneman (26).
Raymond Terrace were 0/19 at the close of play and will need a better performance with the bat than their past two outings.