Clearing out: Benalla Bushrangers’ equipment affected by flooding.
Not a ball has been bowled of the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association season, and it could be that way for a little while yet, with a number of clubs in the competition recovering from flood damage to grounds and facilities.
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One of those clubs was Benalla Bushrangers, who continue to assess flood damage to its ground at Gardens Oval.
Club president Greg Hoystead said the Bushrangers’ clubrooms had been badly affected, as the club started to look to potential grants and government payments in flood recovery.
“We had over a metre of water through the clubrooms at Gardens Oval the weekend before last and have had a major clean-up there since then,” Hoystead said.
“We’re very grateful to a lot of club members over the weekend who came in to help out.
“Obviously we lost stuff in the rooms and are in the process of assessing that, we’re looking at grants and exploring those options.”
As far as damaged equipment, Hoystead said much of the club’s cricket gear had been affected.
“We lost fridges and freezers, lots of cricket equipment that once it’s inundated we can’t use,” he said.
“Our ground mower was badly damaged, but that has since been repaired.
“Balls, training equipment, bats, pads, once the water is through them they’re done.”
The club also had to remove piles of flotsam through its training nets which had been caught up in rising floodwater.
After wet weather forced the cancellation of the first two rounds, the WDCA is looking to this weekend to kick-start the new season.
But Hoystead said a waterlogged ground and a gloomy forecast this weekend left it up in the air.
“Obviously the ground is extremely wet, we’re hoping the weather is a bit more favourable in the next few days to allow it to dry out,” Hoystead said.
“We should be okay, obviously as a club we’ll band together and help each other out with equipment and replacements.
“We should be able to start when the weather allows, but the forecast is not favourable.”
Damage done: Floodwater through the Benalla Bushrangers’ facilities.
