Australia's home of cricket has been rocked with revelations a Southern Highlands club could lose all its competition points after fielding multiple ineligible players.
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Bowral Cricket Club, the former club of the late Sir Donald Bradman, stand to lose points from matches involving the players, a decision that could have repercussions across all three senior grades.
The former club of Sir Donald Bradman self-reported to the Highlands District Cricket Association (HDCA) last week after it was found that seven of its players hadn't received a clearance from the players' former associations as laid out in HDCA rules.
On Thursday a vote was held with a decision in line with the rules to remove any competition points where any uncleared players were involved. They will still be eligible for points in upcoming fixtures.
It is yet unclear what games have been affected although Bowral previously had points stripped during their Round 8 fixture against Wingello Tigers for a breach in member regulations.
HDCA Chair Stephen Wentworth said the situation was unfortunate but that the board was unified in its ruling.
"It wasn't a pleasant situation but the regulations are pretty clear," he told the Southern Highland News.
"It was unanimous vote and all clubs have been notified."
Bowral Chairman Peter De Hosson said the club would own the breach but felt they had been the subject of a 'witch hunt'.
"I'm still upset because we are an open and transparent club," he told the News.
"We own the issue. I wrote to members over the weekend and while I still believe it was a bit of a witch hunt from some of the other clubs, the point is the rules are the rules and we have been in breach of them.
"What's done is done and I respect the decision of the HDCA. Although we feel let down that no training was offered, they never reached out to offer assistance, they just hit us with a big stick."
De Hosson said he believed the club hadn't intentionally set out to register uncleared players and that the additional clearance requirement, not used in most cricket associations, was antiquated.
"When it was discovered that there was one player and then we were notified of another that's when we thought 'we've got a problem here," he said.
"We conducted an internal audit and we found seven. I notified them immediately of my findings and unfortunately the decision didn't go our way.
"There's no doubt in my mind that there are probably other uncleared players out there but how are you supposed to know unless you go back and dig for it.
"It's not the club that's been punished, they've punished the entire playing group. That in my view is a dangerous precedent to set when I can prove that the system that we use is in my view faulty.
"If Sydney premier cricket doesn't use it I don't see a reason for a country association to use it, it's antiquated."
Despite the blow, Bowral will begin looking ahead to 2022/23 with De Hosson stressing the club had accepted the decision.
"We're going to keep putting our shirts on with pride for the remaining games.
"The boys are fired up and can't wait to get stuck in for next year.
"We are going to be recruiting hard for next year and prove not only are we the biggest most formidable club but a premiership club as well."
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