IT is time that our two top cricket venues in Sutherland Shire — Glenn McGrath Oval at Caringbah and St George district's Hurstville Oval — are placed at the top of the selection list, with Cricket NSW to host more one-day and Sheffield Shield matches.
Sutherland's home ground is Glenn McGrath Oval while St George play matches at Hurstville Oval.
With the recent Sheffield Shield match between NSW and Victoria abandoned because of the poor state of the wicket area, the round three NSW and Tasmania game was moved to Bankstown Oval.
Bankstown Oval has hosted Sheffield Shield and domestic one-day games previously.
Hurstville Oval has hosted Matador Cup one-day games and women's international matches.
St George-Sutherland Women's Cricket Club first-grade team the Slayers play matches at Glenn McGrath Oval, Hurstville Oval and Harold Fraser Oval at Carss Park.
The Slayers players will tell you they have nothing but praise for the Caringbah and Hurstville venues.
Sutherland District Cricket Club life member Tom Iceton said the highest-level match played at Glenn McGrath Oval is a second XI match, and there had also been NSW Colts and under-17s championship matches and Women's National Cricket League encounters.
NSW did play a practice 50-overs match against New Zealand on September 6, 2002, at Glenn McGrath Oval.
The timing is right to take Sheffield Shield games to our suburban venues.
I am not calling for all Sheffield Shield games to be moved from the hallowed SCG.
But using Glenn McGrath Oval and Hurstville Oval is a definite option.
Additional and portable seating would have to be brought in to stage games, but surely this is a simple logistics issue for Cricket NSW to handle.
We put a man on the Moon in 1969, so organising seating for a shield game is "easy-peasy".
Free admission for spectators should apply and Cricket NSW could run coaching clinics during the lunch and tea breaks. The St George and Sutherland associations could get involved to foster junior recruitment for boys and girls of all ages.
Cricket NSW has played Sheffield Shield games in other cities such as Newcastle and Canberra before.
The 2013-14 Sheffield Shield final between NSW and Western Australia was played at Manuka Oval in the nation's capital.
Hurstville Oval head curator Adam Lewis and his staff have won many Sydney Cricket Association awards for the best ground
What better inspiration for a young cricketer in St George than to see St George and NSW all-rounder Moises Henriques hit a cover drive on his home turf.
Or the youngster in the Sutherland association who idolises shire boy Steve Smith, our Australian captain, play for the Blues at Glenn McGrath Oval.
The St George and Sutherland clubs have produced a plethora of cricketers who have played for NSW and Australia.
