MANNING Junior Cricket Association secretary David Burley said the high standard of turf wickets in the area is the reason the State under 15 girl's championships will be played here over the long weekend in October.
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This will be the first time Manning has hosted the event.
Mr Burley pointed out that in the past two years Manning has been the venue for the Kookaburra Cup, a State competition for under 14 boy's teams. He revealed that Manning was offered the Kookaburra again for next January, but decided against hosting it a third time.
He hopes that eventually the prestigious Bradman Cup, for under 16 boy's sides, will be held here, perhaps in two years time.
Six sides will contest the State under 15s, with play to be held on the Saturday and Sunday. Natalie Watson from Wingham, a member of the North Coast Zone winter academy squad, will be expected to push strongly for a spot in the North Coast side to contest the championship.
"We'll be playing on three grounds,'' Mr Burley said.
"At this stage it will be Johnny Martin Oval, Chatham Park and the Chris Dempsey Oval at Old Bar.''
However Mr Burley said that he will have to check on whether the Dempsey Oval will be used by the Old Bar Barbarians Football Club during the winter.
"I know the Barbarians are going to the Trad Fields but I'm not sure what fields they'll be using,'' he said.
"If there's going to be play on the cricket pitch area then we may have to look elsewhere.''
Mr Burley said either the Cedar Party Reserve at Wingham or Forster would come into contention. He pointed out that unlike other areas the cricket fields here aren't extensively used by other sports during winter.
"There's a bit of Auskick AFL for kids at Johnny Martin and baseball at Chatham, but neither has much of an impact on the turf wickets,'' he said.
However, he added continued concerns with anti-social behaviour in and around the grandstand at the Johnny Martin Oval loom as a possible problem.
"We'll be talking to council to see what we can do about that,'' Mr Burley said.
He said that synthetic wickets at Taree Recreation Centre can be used if wet weather intervenes.
Mr Burley understands that a combination of T/20 and 35/35 games will be played in the championships, with a State squad to be named at the conclusion of play. Wingham's State under 18 squad member, Maitlan Brown, will play in the 18s State championships to be held at Port Macquarie the same weekend.
