The format, called Stage 2, includes a reduced pitch length from 22 metres to 18 metres, time changes to 120 or 180 minutes, the number of players changing to nine, a maximum boundary of 45 metres and a ball size of 142 grams.

Each bowler will bowl six balls per over and a maximum of eight balls per over, except the last over where six legal deliveries must be bowled. A maximum of four overs per bowler is allowed.

All batters retire at 20 balls faced and retired batters can return when all others have batted, in the order they retired.

Grampians Cricket Association president David Turner said other associations had taken on different levels of changes.

“At this stage the Grampians Cricket Association has adopted the Stage 2 format for the under-13 competition,” he said.

Tuner said the changes were in line with a mass roll out across Australia.

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“It has been trialled at approximately 200 associations in the past few years. Observations found a huge increase of amount of balls that come in to play,” he said.

Turner said junior cricketers could focus on skills in the modified format with a 70 per cent improvement recorded across the board.

“Young cricketers will be able to play better cricket shots and having less extras when bowling,” he said.

Grampians Cricket Association juniors will need to play under the new format to attend Country Week in the upcoming season.

Four coaches from Cricket Victoria attended a development clinic at Ararat Fitness Centre on September 26.

Kayla Stuchbree, who has been managing Grampians Girls Cricket teams, said she was excited for the future.

“We are hoping to have two girls’ teams running in the under-13 competition this season,” she said.

Stuchbree is looking forward to supporting the teams through the new changes.

“I think the new format will allow all players to play a better style of cricket,” she said.

Stuchbree said Grampians Girls Cricket would field an older team and younger team this season and the changes would allow the younger team more chances to score more runs.

The cricket season will begin on Friday, October 19 for the under-16 competition and Sunday, October 21 for the under-13 competition.

Turner said the under-16 competition would play a mixture of Friday night and Saturday morning fixtures throughout the season.

“This will allow for an extra side in Ararat. It works around other sports and commitments,” he said.