TEAM numbers for the 2018/19 Mid North Coast Premier League cricket competition will be confirmed at the next meeting of the Mid North Coast Council on July 9.
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However, MNC president Gordon Cross expects the nine sides that contested the inaugural premier league last summer would be involved again.
“That’s the indication we’ve had although we won’t know for sure until the 9th,’’ he said.
Three Manning clubs – Wingham, United and Taree West were all involved in last season’s competition that took in clubs from the Manning, Hastings and Macleay associations. Both Wingham and United made the semi-finals last season.
“I haven’t heard that we’ll be getting any new teams nominating. But they’d have to prove they’d be competitive before we’d accept them,’’ Mr Cross added.
The season will be underway from Saturday October 6. Mr Cross said there will be provision next season to ensure there’s a spare weekend to play the grand final if wet weather intervenes. This was the case last March when the grand final was washed out and minor premiers Macquarie Hotel declared premiers. Wingham was the other grand finalist.
As it was Easter the weekend after the scheduled grand final there was no time to play the match. Mr Cross admitted it was a disappointing end to what was otherwise a highly successful season.
Mr Cross said the problem occurred when the draw had to be revamped following the rescheduling of the regional Big Bash round at Coffs Harbour because of wet weather.
“They had to change the date and that impacted on our draw,’’ he said.
However, he added as Easter falls later next year there’ll be greater scope with the premier league draw.
Mr Cross revealed next season’s T20 Regional Big Bash will be played at Port Macquarie. Four teams from the North Coast and Tamworth areas will be involved, with Mid North Coast players in the Macquarie Coast Stingers.
He added if improvements to the lighting at Oxley Oval are complete in time a match or matches would be played under lights.
Mr Cross said he had looked at the feasibility of including some T20 games in the competition-proper.
"But at this stage I don’t think that’s going to be possible,’’ he said.
“To do that we’d probably need to start of competition earlier and I don’t think that would work because we’d be clashing with winter sports.’’
Mr Cross was returned as president at the council’s annual meeting unopposed. However, he has stepped down as secretary of the Manning Cricket Association.
