No premiers to be crowned for 2019-20 Horsham Cricket Association season

Instead, the results of A Grade and B Grade's two-day competitions and C Grade's one-day competition will be recorded as: " Competition Abandoned - COVID-19 pandemic".

The HCA board unanimously decided that a premier could not be crowned without a finals match being played.

"The reality of the unique circumstances that we find ourselves in is that the season has been abandoned prior to entering a final series. Players have not been picked in teams and umpires not appointed," a Horsham Cricket Association statement read.

"2019-20 was a watershed season for the HCA. To call a team a premiership team in a watershed season where a ball hasn't been delivered in a finals match is not appropriate. This is the unanimous thoughts of the HCA board.

"In the annals of history the 2019-2020 HCA season the A and B Grade two-day premiers and C Grade one-day premiers will be known as: Competition Abandoned - COVID-19 pandemic. And may we never see the like of it again."

The results of the limited-over formats remain, with Rup-Minyip Twenty20 premiers and Homers' one-day champions in A Grade.

The Horsham Cricket Association noted that despite its premature end, it was a "marvellous season of cricket."

"This year, we challenged the boundaries of thinking throughout the HCA Clubs and put in place a competition that was uniquely different from what has been done in the past. We extended cricket to provide all three forms of cricket in a way that all could enjoy," a statement read.

"We moved teams, some against their wishes, to higher grades, we worked with one club to preserve cricket in their town by allowing them to drop a grade and we structured a draw based on assumptions and last year's performance.

"We ended the season with four teams vying for three finals spots in the last round. Ultimately the fifth team missed a finals position by two runs. The proof is in the pudding, it was a marvellous season of cricket."

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