There were some doubts whether the coming Armidale District Cricket season was going to go ahead with the drought affecting playing surfaces.
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Rumours circulated that the 2019-20 season would be cancelled due to water restrictions in Armidale, but the local association came up with a plan to ensure all grades would forge on.
Armidale Cricket president Mike Porter said the turf wickets at Lambert, Bellevue, Sportsground, Rologas and Harris Park ovals were unavailable but the bore-watered Ted Mulligan Oval in Guyra and The Armidale School grounds will be in use.
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"There are so many stories out there that what going on and none of them were really factual, and none of them were from the association, they were all things people had heard or had made up or whatever," he said.
"We always intended to do something but we had restrictions on the fields that we had. Once TAS came to the party, it was a big help. We have two turf games for first grade and everything else is on synthetic grass. We have got to make do with what we have got otherwise we won't have a competition.
"It means our Armidale blokes will have to travel to Guyra every Saturday, one way or another, some weeks it may be two Armidale teams travelling to Guyra and Guyra coming down here and playing at TAS."
Concerns were raised over whether it will be safe to face some of the quicks on synthetic pitches but Porter confirmed the grading system will be in place.
"Our gradings will stand as they are at the moment," he said.
"We haven't looked at anyone in particular that shouldn't be playing second grade on synthetic."
The season will begin on Saturday, October 19 with three grades and junior levels taking the field in one day formats.
First grade will feature five teams - Easts, Hillgrove, City, Ex-Services and Guyra - for 45 over matches. Second grade will feature five teams for 45 over matches while third grade will see six teams take part in 40 over matches with a break over Christmas and a Twenty20 competition.
"This is the best we can come up with given the drought and no water," Porter said.