It has been a frustrating start to the season for cricketers at Dubbo with the No. 1 Oval pitch unsuitable for any first grade quality matches but a resolution is in sight after Dubbo City Council announced yesterday the centre wicket square would be excavated and replaced.

No. 1, regularly the premier cricket pitch at Dubbo, has not hosted a representative, Whitney Cup or even Pinnington Cup match this season due to concerns over the state of the pitch after an apparent deliberate attack on the surface.

After new turf on the square failed to root, tests were carried out and after an abnormally high toxicity in the soil was confirmed the police and the insurer were notified.

Dubbo and District Cricket Association president Mick Davis said it had been disappointing not to have any top cricket played there so far in 2013-14 but admitted it was pleasing a plan was now in place.

"The tough thing is that it's taken time to get here, it would have been nice to get it done a bit earlier," he said. "But council came to our meeting this week and we had a positive discussion and we've now got a set course to remedy the situation and we're comfortable with that and we'll work together to make sure we can get back on there as soon as possible."

The apparent contamination has stopped any new turf from growing so there was little choice but to replace the square and Director of Parks and Landcare Murray Wood said action would now be swift.

"This has been a frustrating and distressing time for council staff and the Dubbo Cricket Association as it appears this is a deliberate action that has caused disruption to the regular cricket season and significant cost to council," he said.

"However, there are several important events coming up in the new year including an inaugural Junior Cricket NSW representative tournament and it is important to quickly get the pitches back to a high standard."

In a further blow to local cricket the troubles with No. 1 have forced the Whitney Cup 90th anniversary celebrations, planned for January of next year, to be postponed.

"We're just not confident and it's taken a lot of the focus away from the anniversary," Davis said.

"A lot of the anniversary hinged on No. 1 but we've got the option to push it back later in the year, we can have it any time in 2015, so it could be a big way to start next season."

While representative and Whitney Cup matches have been moved to Lady Cutler ovals in recent weeks, the opening rounds of the McDonald's Megahit Twenty20 competition have been played at No. 1 on Friday nights but issues were raised by players regarding the quality of the surface with the pitch playing much lower and slower than usual and breaking up far more easily.

Work will start to replace the centre square from next Monday and is expected to be completed before the end of December at a cost between $30,000 and $40,000.

The night cricket competition will be played under the lights at No. 3 Oval until the Christmas and new year's break with plans in place for No. 1 to be back up and running in early 2015.

"We've got the big junior carnival at the end of January and we want to have a few games there before that and we want to be able to present it to help our chances of hosting future carnivals, we're going to assist council to make that happen," Davis said.