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THE Emu Valley Cricket Association will press ahead with its three grand finals scheduled this weekend.
The EVCA board and participating clubs met on Wednesday night to discuss the grand final situation following Cricket Australia's recommendation on Tuesday that all cricket be cancelled in response to the global coronavirus pandemic.
The Bendigo District Cricket Association abandoned its upcoming senior and junior grand finals on Tuesday.
However, the EVCA has reached the decision that its three remaining grand finals, headed by the United v Emu Creek division one game at Club Court, will be played.
"The decision is based on the input of the division one and two clubs playing, plus information we have received from doctor's reports and the like," EVCA president Ron Gray said.
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Games will be played under their normal two-day conditions, but guidelines will be put in place to take health precautions.
"We'll have guidelines in place such as the players being separated from the supporters and hand sanetiser at the grounds," Gray said.
As for the banning of non-essential outdoor gatherings of more than 500 amid the coronavirus crisis, Gray doesn't anticipate that being an issue for the EVCA this weekend.
"I'll be honest, through my experience in the EVCA I don't think we'd get 500 people to a grand final," Gray said.
"We respect the recommendations from earlier in the week, but our thinking is we won't get an opportunity to replay these games.
"We're living in a society of doom and gloom at the moment, but we play cricket as a recreation on the weekend and knowing all the facts we thought our players deserved the opportunity to play in a grand final."
EVCA grand finals:
Division 1 - United v Emu Creek at Club Court.
Division 2 - United v Mandurang at JG Edwards Oval.
Division 3, sect 1 - Mia Mia v Strathfieldsaye at California Gully Oval.
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