WITH the season due to start on Saturday March 12 Manning-area bowling clubs involved in the revamped No 1 pennant grade are still waiting for confirmation on the format for the competition.
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The former Manning Bowling Association became the stand-alone Zone 11 from January 1. The zone will run the pennant grades from No 2s to No 7s.
Winners of these grades will progress straight to the State finals.
However, the No 1 grade is now under the jurisdiction of the State match committee with the competition to cover the North Coast.
Three Zone 11 clubs, Taree West, Tuncurry and Forster have nominated for the No 1s. They will be involved in matches with clubs from the Hastings area, with the winner to progress to State.
Kew, North Haven, Wauchope, Westport and Port City were the Hastings clubs to initially nominate for the No 1s.
However, Zone 11 secretary Bruce Elliott understands that Wauchope has withdrawn, leaving a seven team draw.
"As it stands now the No 1s will have a 14 week season, with six home games, six away and two byes,'' he said.
Further complicating the matter is the possibility of one or even two more of the northern clubs pulling out.
"If one more withdraws it will be simple - there'll be a 12 week season,'' Mr Elliott said.
"But it if drops down to five it gets messy.''
Mr Elliott said there are also problems with clubs further north and this has caused the delay in the State releasing a draw.
"There's only four weeks to the start of the season and I thought all this would have been finalised by now,'' he said.
"Down here isn't the problem, it's further up north, with clubs nominating for the ones and then pulling out and other clubs wanting to come in after the deadline. I don't think it should have come to this - a line should have been drawn in the sand.''
Mr Elliott said there are 51 team nominations for grades two to seven in Zone 11.
Last week he completed the draws for grades two to seven while also sending a complete list of pennant players to the State match committee.
As is the case with the pennant grades under the zone's banner, all district championship winners will also progress straight to the State finals.