Talk of a boycott of the Highlands senior cricket competition has gained momentum following a directive to give the Bowral Cricket Club priority on Bradman Oval.
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Players are threatening to move to neighbouring competitions and some are suggesting they will not turn up to matches on the Highlands draw.
The comments follow a letter sent to clubs and players by Bradman Centre executive director Rina Hore stating that the Bradman Foundation "expected that BCC will be allocated Bradman Oval for all Saturdays the ground is available. We want to ensure that BCC seconds will be allocated matches on Bradman Oval when BCC first grade are allocated to play away at Welby or Lackey Park."
Ms Hore later told the Southern Highland News that BCC had worked closely with Bradman Foundation over the last five years to beautify and maintain Bradman Oval.
She said that the foundation was also supporting the HDCA strategic plan for all Highlands clubs to identify with a home ground.
"At the end of the day BCC doesn't have a home ground as other clubs do - although Bowral traditionally identified with this oval as its home ground long before the Bradman Foundation took over," she said.
The news has outraged players with many sharing their thoughts on the Southern Highland News Facebook page.
No chance mate they have lost the support of all of us after this.
Dean Roxburgh
100 per cent Dean. Won't be a competition much longer.
Matt Cupitt
Soon it'll be Bowral V Bowral every week at Bradman
Aaron Deegan
South Coast 20/21.
Matt Cupitt
Tahmoor 20/21
Dean Roxburgh
An anonymous caller to the Southern Highlands News said talk of a boycott of the Highlands cricket competition was a hot topic in the cricket community.
"Competition in the Highlands could be in serious trouble," he said. "People are incensed by this proposal and believe it will destroy other clubs and the competition. I have heard of several people talking about leaving the competition.
"The HDCA is an umbrella group that is supposed to represent all clubs that play in the association. There are currently eight clubs under that umbrella.
"Bradman Oval is an international icon that should be shared among the clubs."
Moss Vale Cricket Club secretary Scott McKie said he had also heard of individual talk about boycotting matches and the competition.
McKie was quick to add that "this was a battle for senior cricket." "We don't want to disrupt the juniors," he said.
"The Bowral facility was built on the back of the community, it should be for the whole community. It wasn't just built for Bowral Cricket Club."
McKie questioned Ms Hore's references to a HDCA strategic document about wanting clubs to take responsibility for their home grounds.
"I can't comment for Wingello other than they do a great job for a small community and Bill O'Reilly Oval should be high on the agenda of the HDCA and the Wingecarribee Shire Council for improvements given who it is named after," after he said.
"For Moss Vale Cricket Club, we do not currently call Lackey Park a 'Home Ground'. Both Wingello (Primary) and Robertson (Secondary) currently have 'ownership' of the ground through the HDCA User Agreements.
"Whilst we would love to claim ownership of Lackey Park, we are not about to do that to the detriment of the competition as a whole or disrepect the other clubs in the competition.
"Both Wingello and Robertson have 1st grade teams and should be playing on turf in front of our club. We hope to rebuild and re-enter the 1st grade competition next year but will still be sharing this ground with other clubs."
McKie said that part of Ms Hore's response in the Southern Highland News stated "we are not asking for the existing matches to be rescheduled - all we are asking is for BCC to play at Bradman Oval as a home ground."
"So that should mean nothing changes this year. The draw is scheduled," he said.
"If every club had the opportunity of playing on a turf wicket that was deemed to be their 'Home Ground', then there wouldn't be a problem. Let the Bowral Cricket Club start from scratch like every other club and build a field they can call a 'Home Ground'.
"Bradman Oval should be for the entire community not one club, the BCC certainly wasn't solely responsible for the facility and ground, so how can they now be gifted it."
HDCA director of senior competitions and representative cricket Jack Whitfield confirmed he had heard about talks of a boycott.
"The board takes the matter seriously. It is not something we want to see," he said.
"We are still working to come to a solution and it is being looked at as a matter of urgency. We want to work with all clubs to come to a solution."
