Tara Murray
The local sporting community is getting behind Malmsbury Cricket Club.
The Gisborne and District Cricket Association is hosting a Flood Relief Appeal best of the GDCA charity match on January 25 to help raise funds for the club, which was hit hard by the October floods.
Damage to the club house at Malmsbury Cricket Ground, which is council-owned, is extensive, while the club, which is a baseball club in the winter, has lost a significant amount of equipment.
Malmsbury secretary Matthew Cox said the club believe it would be out of pocket by at least $30,000. Macedon Ranges council is offering monetary support to cover the ground and building repairs.
Cox said they didn’t think the contents were insured, which is another blow for the club after its secretary and treasurer of 42 years Garry Nicholls, died of cancer just before the season started.
“We haven’t been able to get back into the club house,” he said.
“Most of [the club house is] water is damaged, as are the contents. There’s cabinets, a stove, fridge, flooring, a TV and everything in there.
“We’re not sure whether it’s going to be condemned. We also had a storage container which was filled up with knee high water for 24 hours before we could get into it.
“There were kit bags and equipment in there.”
An annual car and motor show, which is normally hosted by the club and is a significant fundraiser, has been moved elsewhere due to the damage at the club.
The club’s top side, which plays in the Jensen Shield, played its first game at home after Christmas.
It was the first match at home any of their three senior teams and junior girls’ team had played at home this season, meaning it has been hard to raise funds through food and drink sales.
The team has been training in Kyneton, sharing the facilities not only with Kyneton, but other sports teams in the region unable to train at their grounds.
Cox said the club was thankful for the GDCA for its support in holding the charity match at Gardiner Reserve from 7pm.
It’s a gold coin donation money to get in, with raffles, along with food and drink available on the night. All money raised will go to Malmsbury.
The match will include players from the 10 clubs involved in the association’s top grade, the McIntyre Cup.
GDCA secretary Simon Ovenden was behind the idea of hosting a charity match.
“We were looking at doing something from a community perspective being a community cricket association,” he said.
“We’re always looking at ways to raise awareness and get people involved. We thought this was a good opportunity to get on board and help a local club doing it a big tough at the moment.
“We want to use our platform as an association to try and aid Malmsbury to cover some of their losses.”
Anyone looking to donate to Malmsbury or for the raffle can contact Simon on 0409 164 852.
