After completing a full season of one-day matches last summer, the BDCA and EVCA had planned to return to its traditional format of majority two-day games this summer.

The BDCA originally planned to start on October 2, while round one of the EVCA was scheduled for October 9.

Those starting dates were quashed after the state government released its roadmap out of COVID-19 earlier this month and it was hoped community sport could resume on the weekend of November 5-6.

However, Cricket Victoria's COVID-19 roadmap recommends that fixtures commence the weekend of November 13-14 with "only one-day and Twenty20 matches scheduled for the season".

Community cricket matches cannot start until Victoria reaches the 80 per cent double dose vaccination target. That milestone won't be reached until at least October 26 and CV recommended local leagues wait an extra week.

"Given the season delay, potential for localised lockdowns and the expected wetter than normal summer ahead, delaying the season too far will further erode the chance of maximising the number of matches played yet this date should allow adequate notice for confirming the season start after reaching the 80 per cent double dose target,'' the CV roadmap states.

From the weekend of November 13-14, and taking into account the Christmas-New Year break, there are 18 weekends available between the start date and March 26-27.

Both the BDCA and EVCA require at least two weekends for finals, while they both like to keep the final weekend of March free in case of bad weather on the grand final weekend.

The BDCA's 10-team competition requires 18 rounds of one-day matches for every team to play each other twice.

Depending on how the finals format comes together, the BDCA would need to fixture at least two Sunday home and away rounds - something that is detested by players across the league.

The EVCA division one competition has nine teams, but still requires 18 rounds for a fair fixture.

"We have a board meeting this week where we'll come up with some scenarios to put to the clubs,'' EVCA president Ron Gray said.

"We'll look at the Cricket Victoria recommendations and try to come up with the fairest fixture we can.

"Pushing the starting date back to the weekend of November 13-14 makes it harder for us."

Under the CV roadmap, regional teams can continue to train throughout October, but no practice matches against opposition clubs are permitted.

Clubs will go into the start of the BDCA and EVCA seasons without any trial games.

Bendigo United premiership player and former first XI captain Miggy Podosky said the inability to play practice matches was not ideal, but players would adjust.

He also said the players would "understand" if the BDCA follows the CV recommendations and the season becomes a full one-day schedule.

"There's no better practice than time out in the middle,'' Podosky said.

"Normally, you'd love to play a practice game or two, but under these circumstances we will get an extra month in the nets to hone our skills.

"I know a lot of players wanted to go back to two-day cricket and I can see why some players didn't like the all one-day format because they potentially went a few weeks without getting much of a bat or a bowl.

"You have to remember that cricket is a team game...and I think most players would understand why these decisions are made.

"Playing all one-dayers worked pretty well last year when we were going through all the COVID stuff, so I'm sure it can work again this year. One-day cricket certainly helps with having players available to play games.

"The main thing is we get to play some cricket."

BDCA president Travis Harling was unavailable for comment.

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