The venues for the senior grand finals for the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association have been unveiled, with the league opting for a change from previous years.

The WDCA confirmed the venues for the four senior grand finals will be Benalla Gardens (A grade), Beechworth’s Baarmutha Park (A reserve), Barr Reserve 1 (B grade) and WJ Findlay Oval (C grade).

It marks a deviation from how grand final day has traditionally looked, with Wangaratta itself as a hub, with matches generally played in the city’s sports precinct at the Showgrounds, WJ Findlay Oval, and Barr Reserve.

In a bizarre decision, there will be no grand finals of any kind played at the Wangaratta Showgrounds, the venue at which the association is housed, and has held finals since 1895.

WDCA committee member James Neary said the decision was made to allow other clubs to host.

“It was decided last season that everyone would have the opportunity to nominate to host the grand finals, rather than leave it all in Wangaratta,” he said.

“That’s in the rulebook now, you have to go through a process to host a grand final, to give everyone else a chance.

“The nominations came in, and the executive voted on it, and that’s how we got to it.

“The vote was anonymous, there’s no issue with the Wangaratta grounds, but Benalla was the best for A grade.”

The decision has been met with scepticism from players.

“I’m not a big fan of it, to be honest – it’s the ‘Wangaratta’ and District Cricket Association, a lot of teams have got players from Wangaratta,” Wangaratta Magpies A grade captain Cooper Matheson said.

“I don’t think many people are going to travel to Benalla to potentially watch us play.

“When it was all set, every team playing in Wangaratta, you’d get good crowds, and if one game finishes early, the crowd rolls over to the next one.

“The atmosphere will definitely be different on grand final day, I reckon.”

Frustrations are simmering in the local cricket community, with some linking the Showgrounds missing out on finals to the encroachment of the lengthening local football season.

Maintenance works at both WJ Findlay Oval and the Showgrounds were conducted over the week, with cricket teams allowed to play on the grounds on Saturdays, but not allowed on it during the week.

The Showgrounds is set to host fixtures in round one of the Ovens and Murray, less than two weeks after WDCA grand final day.

Rural City of Wangaratta director of community and infrastructure Marcus Goonan denied any favouritism.

“Council’s ground maintenance program is planned to achieve the best outcomes for all sporting users across the year,” he said.

“Notification of the upcoming temporary closures was provided to user groups in early February, with closures limited to a two-week period to allow essential surface maintenance to occur.

“During this time, alternative grounds have been offered to impacted clubs.

“These works do not affect Wangaratta’s ability to host cricket finals, which has been confirmed with the relevant association.

“Council is not prioritising one sport over another.

“As cricket and football seasons increasingly overlap, council regularly reviews its maintenance schedules to ensure playing surfaces are safe and in the best possible condition for all users.”

WDCA senior grand finals are set for Saturday, 28 March at Benalla Gardens (A grade), Baarmutha Park (A reserve), Barr Reserve 1 (B grade) and WJ Findlay Oval (C grade).