COVID-19 has had an impact on all community sports clubs and it has been no different for the Ballarat Bolts.
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And the club is preparing to make its home solely in the Barwon Women's Cricket Competition this season.
The Bolts had their second division side in the Barwon ranks last season, but their top team in the north west A division of the Women's Community Cricket Competition. This was largely based in Melbourne and COVID-19 restrictions mean the Bolts are looking elsewhere for 2020-21.
Bolts senior coach Emily Sculley said it was hoped the club would move its top side to Barwon.
"It's just to provide the girls more opportunity to actually play cricket," Sculley said.
"At a committee level we sat down and spoke about it and said that Barwon was probably the best way to go.
"We've spoken to Barwon about it and they're more than happy to (have us), but I think we've just got to fill out the paper work and stuff."
The Bolts enjoyed a good season in the north west A competition during 2019-20, but just fell short of ultimate glory. The team was beaten in one-day and Twenty20 grand finals by the Greenvale Kangaroos.
Sculley has now taken over as coach from Jeremy Byrne, who has stepped aside for personal reasons.
She said a move to Barwon would be a good opportunity for the club.
"It will be good for us to be able to provide the younger girls more chances to play in a division one team," Sculley said.
"Skill-wise they're quite close division one and division two. So it will be good to give the girls the opportunity to go up and play with the north west A girls, where sometimes they might not have had that opportunity last year."
The immediate future of community cricket in the metropolitan Melbourne area remains unclear due to state government COVID-19 restrictions, but non-contact competition has been given the green light in regional Victoria.
Late last week Cricket Victoria outlined its return to training and play guidelines, which sees a range of strict protocols in place for the 2020-21 season.
Sculley said the club would look to begin training on October 7.
"That gives us about three weeks before the season starts," Sculley said.
"Our numbers aren't too bad. We have got a fair few girls that are keen from last season and a couple of new girls.
"Our team is looking pretty good."
The Ballarat Women's Cricket Club was established prior to the 2018-2019 season.