Western Zone president Mark Frecklington believes the scrapping of the Club Knockout won't leave a hole in this summer's representative calendar.
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There was excitement initially last summer when it was confirmed the first Western Club Knockout would be played to decide the best team in the zone.
The competition featured teams from Dubbo, Bathurst, Orange, Parkes and Cowra but it failed to hit any great heights, with many of the 11 clubs involved struggling to field their strongest lineups for the fixtures which were played on Sundays in January and February.
Dubbo's CYMS Cougars was one side which was able to regularly name close to its best team and it was rewarded by finishing as champion after a tense 15-run win over St Pat's of Bathurst in the final.
The Cougars won't get the chance to defend that crown now and when asked if it was disappointing to see the demise of the short-lived competition, Western Zone president Mark Frecklington said "not really".
"It's been canned. There's not the interest there to have it," Frecklington said.
"It was probably over and above in terms of what we normally organise and we only tried it because of the idea of someone and we thought we'd test the waters.
"There was obviously interest but the travel probably proved more of an issue than people realised."
It got to the point for some clubs where players from third grade sides were called up just so teams could take to the field for a Knockout game.
"It's a great idea in theory but when it came to actually getting the players to travel a couple of hours on a Sunday for a game it changes," Frecklington added.
While the Knockout failed to become a regular addition to the calendar, Frecklington was pleased to see Western Zone being open to try things for the benefit of the game.
Another competition which was introduced last season was the Western Zone Cup and it will be sticking around.
A second-tier competition under the Western Zone Premier League, the Cup last season featured second XI sides from Dubbo, Bathurst and Orange.
Bathurst enjoyed another memorable summer in 2023/24 as it defeated Dubbo in the Premier League decider while each of the three sides won once in the Cup.
"For us, it's more so about the Cup and making sure it's a viable competition and having players want to play rather than pushing a barrel up hill with the Knockout," Frecklington said.
"I think it's a good thing for the strength of Western Zone cricket and it provides some rep cricket for those who might otherwise miss out and it gives an opportunity to guys who don't go on to play at higher levels.
"It's the same battle all the time though. It will depend on how much interest there is."
Western Zone will have the perfect chance to showcase its talents this season when it hosts the men's NSW Country Championships southern pool carnival at Orange in November.
Western will take on Southern Districts, Riverina and Central Coast from November 24-26 for the right to play for the title of country champion in the final on December 10.
"It's always nice to have something in your own backyard and it's good for the players. It's a rare opportunity to have little travel rather than five or six hours," Frecklington said.
"It's nice to show off our facilities."
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
