Hallam Kalora stays put

By Marc McGowan
HALLAM Kalora Park will not be granted discretionary entry into the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s (DDCA) Turf One competition next season despite dominating Turf Two before losing to Coomoora in the grand final this month.
There is no rule set in stone on promotion and relegation, but it is generally accepted that the Turf Two champion moves up to Turf One the following season.
The qualification finally rewarded Coomoora, which endured two runner-up campaigns in the preceding seasons.
Hallam Kalora Park regularly threatened or surpassed the 300-run mark throughout 2006-07 and had three batsmen average over 50.
Club captain Cory Booth summed up his club’s plight by suggesting his players might have greater issues than opposition bowling attacks next season.
“The guys at the club have played a lot of high-level cricket, so it is hard to keep motivated at that standard (Turf Two),” he said.
“I believe there are a few weaker teams in Turf One, who are getting through with three wins.
“To have a better competition, you want the best teams, and there wasn’t much in it between us and Coomoora.”
DDCA president Michael Hawking is sympathetic to Hallam Kalora Park’s situation, but said the league had no intention of changing history.
“They are both good enough to play in Turf One, but unfortunately there is no room for both of them,” he said.
“If you stuff around with that sort of practice you can get yourself in trouble.”
Hawking would not be drawn on the topic and argued that it displayed the depth of cricket in the association.
“It hasn’t happened in the past and we’ve often had more than one side in Turf Two that was good enough to play in Turf One,” he said.
“It just means Turf Two is getting stronger. Other than the Southern Pirates this year, most teams competed pretty well.”