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A bye again looks likely in the Christchurch senior club cricket competition this season after talks between St Albans and Burnside West-Christchurch University broke down.

St Albans had preliminary discussions with Burnside and investigated the possibility of a shift away from its Hagley Oval base.

It explored being based at Ilam Park and using the University rugby club as headquarters. It wanted Burnside-West to move there and join forces but that club was not interested in shifting from its Burnside Park base and talks stalled.

Burnside club spokesman Ray Burgess said it was still open to discussion with other clubs but Burnside did not want to leave its home ground. He said the club, which had to withdraw fielding a second-grade team during last season, was confident of fielding a side in that competition next summer.

Burgess said Campbell Ogilvie and Scott Blackman had already been appointed captain and vice-captain of the senior side after the retirements of experienced players Hamish Kember and Matthew Everest.

St Albans spokesman Alan Jamieson said for such a merger to have gone ahead St Albans, as a large club, needed a ground to host seven or eight teams, which Burnside Park could not provide.

He said St Albans was content to remain where it was in what he felt was the premier position on Hagley Oval.

With Canterbury cricket looking at developing QE II Park as a second tier provincial playing ground, it took some pressure off the well-used wickets at Hagley Oval, which hosts three senior clubs.

Jamieson said he did not feel it was worth St Albans moving to Ilam on its own just for the sake of moving when already on a prime site.

Canterbury Cricket's executive director Tony Murdoch said it appeared the status quo from last season would prevail, which, in leaving a bye, was not ideal.