COVID rules mean St Patrick's Cricket Club unable to train or play at Xavier High School

Normally based at Xavier High School in North Albury, the Patties can't train or play there all the time schools in the local government area remain in the Level 3 bracket.

Under those rules, non-essential visitors are not permitted in schools, which means the cricketers are locked out.

However, cross-town rivals Albury Cricket Club have agreed to let St Pat's train at their Billson Park base for the time being.

"The cricketing community has got around us," Patties president Tony Maher said.

"COVID's bitten us on the bum, simple as that, but the school's been nothing short of magnificent, as have Albury Cricket Club, Cricket Albury-Wodonga and Albury City Council.

"We talk a lot about our brand and we're part of a bigger community.

"Those guys have exhibited that it's alive, well and truly.

"We were all set to start training two or three weeks ago, before lockdown, when the school notified us.

"They're working their socks off to make things happen but it's all dependent on what flows down from state government.

"Cam Walker, Alex Popko and the guys at Albury Cricket Club have been magnificent.

"We had our first run there on Saturday, trained again on Monday night and we're working closely with Cricket Albury-Wodonga and Albury City Council about a turf wicket for matchday."

The clock is ticking in that regard, with Cricket Albury-Wodonga hoping to get its provincial competition started by mid-October.

"It's turned us upside-down and shaken us around, there's no doubt about that," Maher said.

"It's not ideal, not training at our home ground, but that's life. We'll just keep together and get into it.

"We've done a lot of Zoom meetings, getting the boys in the headspace they need to be and we'll be ready to go.

"The start date brings up other challenges and Albury City Council will come into play with CAW.

ALSO IN SPORT

"There will be a turf wicket for us somewhere, we just don't need this to be around when juniors hit the road because we're a big club.

"We've lost not only our training facility but potentially our turf wicket for the early part of the season and next door to that, our hard wicket where our kids and third-graders play, but what can you do?

"The way the NSW roadmap's heading, I think there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"I've spoken to the school this week and they're well and truly in our corner, but they need that public health order to click down a notch before they can allow external groups in.

"The school's only doing the right thing by their community.

"We're nomads for now but we'll be right."

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