Sport
1 July, 2026
CRICKET: The big switch is on
Charlton and Marnoo have voted to move from the Wimmera Mallee competition, following an earlier decision by St Arnaud to also switch leagues.
THE DOMINOES have fallen the way of Upper Loddon Cricket Association.
Charlton and Marnoo have voted to move from the Wimmera Mallee competition, following an earlier decision by St Arnaud to also switch leagues.
It will trigger one of the biggest shake-ups of cricket across North Central in decades and follows last season’s switch to the Horsham association by Donald-based teams.
The new-look Upper Loddon association will have eight teams if the three new clubs are granted membership this month,
St Arnaud members voted for a change a fortnight ago and by the week’s end all three clubs were confirmed to be on the move.
It is a huge boost for the Upper Loddon, whose continued existence had been in question for several years.
St Arnaud said the increased opportunity for its junior players was the main reason for accepting Upper Loddon’s invitation to join the league.
Charlton, on the other hand, will not enter a junior side in Upper Loddon, with parents happy to continue playing Friday night cricket in Donald.
Club president Adam Soulsby said Charlton would keep open the option of fielding a junior team in the Upper Loddon competition in future years.
“There was not much of a future in the Wimmera Mallee, and we have been looking for the past three or four years to go this way,” he said.
“We have been very loyal to the two main forces behind the league, but they are stepping down and it’s hard to see who will replace them.”
Marnoo’s decision was made based on the Upper Loddon competition being similar to Wimmera Mallee, but a more stable option.
“The standard of play is similar, but also most of us are farmers or in rural businesses so the flexibility in game timings around harvest worked in Upper Loddon’s favour,” club spokesman Stuart Lang said.
Upper Loddon has a mix of two-day, one-day and T20 matches, with the short-format competition played for the Loddon Herald trophy. “We’re lacking numbers around harvest time, so something like the T20 is a great option,” Lang said.
Marnoo also wanted to remain as a standalone club and not be forced into a merger.
The club’s juniors will play with St Arnaud in the Upper Loddon association.
Current Upper Loddon clubs Wedderburn, Boort, Kingower, Arnold and Bridgewater are expected to field senior teams in 2026-2027. A meeting to formally admit the three new clubs, who met earlier this month with Upper Loddon officials, is expected to be held next month.