Approximately half a million dollars will be injected into the Dubbo economy by the State Challenge cricket tournament that is being held in the city this week.
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More than 1000 people, including 250 players and coaches arrived on Sunday for the tournament which got underway yesterday and will continue until Thursday.
It is the first year the State Challenge has been held for the 13 and 14-years age groups and is planned to become an annual event. There are discussions between organising bodies Cricket Australia, Cricket NSW and Cricket ACT and Dubbo City Council about Dubbo becoming the permanent host.
The city is seen as the perfect venue because it is centrally located for participants, has outstanding facilities and plentiful accommodation.
"We have four teams from Sydney metropolitan and four from regional NSW in each age group so we have kids coming from Sydney, as far north as Lismore and as far south as Albury so Dubbo is very central," Cricket NSW male youth programs manager Michael Maclennan said.
"The facilities here are perfect and Dubbo City Council has been very accommodating.
"I came down to Lady Cutler yesterday [Sunday] to see the grounds and council was rolling the wicket. On a Sunday afternoon. So we couldn't be happier."
Dubbo Mayor Mathew Dickerson said council had approached Cricket Australia about hosting more events and he was happy to see it paying off.
"We talked to Cricket Australia and had them come and look at facilities to show them what we had to offer in a bid to host different tournaments," Cr Dickerson said.
"The State Challenge is a new event and it's one we are very happy to have here is Dubbo.
"We say visitors bring $132 a night to the Dubbo economy and you have 1000 people here, that's a $132,000 a night. Most of those will stay for four nights so you are looking at half a million dollars.
"We haven't had to pay any appearance fees or build any new grounds, all we have to do is prepare them, which we would normally do anyway."
With eight teams in each age group, the State Challenge requires eight turf wickets. Dubbo has seven in total, with three at Victoria Park and four at Lady Cutler Oval, and the eighth is at Narromine.
Mr Maclennan said the early stages of the tournament had showed Dubbo was a great host of the State Challenge.
"We want to keep it here and we are talking to council about doing that," he said.
