NDCA elects a new president and vice-president at annual general meeting

Josh Rose is the new Narrabri District Cricket Association president following an appointment last night which completed an impressive rise through the ranks for the 24-year-old Tatts cricketer.

Rose has played cricket in Narrabri for Tatts for 10 years, has been part of the NDCA committee for seven years and was the association’s junior vice-president for the 2018-19 season before taking on the vice-president role for the 2019-20 campaign.

His hard work and dedication to help drive several successful seasons of cricket for the NDCA did not go unnoticed, and when Brendon Ward made his intention clear to step down at last  night’s annual general meeting Rose was nominated for the position and unanimously voted in by all in attendance.

The vice-president role left vacant by Rose was filled by last season’s junior vice-president Chris Watkins, which then created a vacancy in the junior vice-president role which was filled by former committee member David McInnes.

Returning for another season in the secretary and treasurer positions are Bill Wood and Luke Meppem respectively.

Six committee members were elected on the night. They were Ward, Tom Craig, Jarrett Tough, Mick Dowdell, Jake Thurston and Ty Baker.

A three-man grounds’ committee was formed which included Civeo cricketers Meppem, McInnes and Kaleb Mowle.

Life member of the association Tony Meppem was nominated as the patron of the NDCA for a second consecutive year.

Outgoing president Ward, who stepped down following three years at the helm, addressed the meeting with his final president’s report in which he thanked the board of management and reflected on his time in the role.

“I’d like to give some personal thanks to our board of management members and the many sub-committees we have that continue to drive the NDCA into the future and align with our strategic plan to grow and develop the game in the shire,” said Ward, who will be a committee member and also the Tatts Cricket Club’s president during the 2020-21 season.“As [the past season was] my final season as president of the NDCA, I would like to send a massive thanks to Billy Wood and Luke Meppem.

“These two board members have done more for Narrabri cricket over the past several seasons than many have done in a lifetime and we owe them a lot of credit for keeping the association running and developing.”

One of the big announcements made at the meeting was that the Northern Inland Cricket Council’s premier 50-over competition, the War Vets Cup, would not go ahead in the 2020-21 season.

Champions of two of the past three campaigns, Narrabri was the only association to nominate for the competition for the coming season.

The MA Connolly Cup season will proceed as normal and the NDCA will now enquire about entering two sides into that competition given the current strength of cricket within Narrabri, Wee Waa and surrounding areas.

The NDCA competition will get underway with one day games on Saturday, October 10.

Tatts, RSL and the Western Imperial Razorbacks all nominated a first grade team and a second grade side, while Civeo once again nominated a first grade team and two second grade sides.

This season, the first grade one day competition has been extended to 15 rounds, meaning the four teams will play against one another five times. It will again be played as a 45-over competition.

The second grade one day competition will also be spread across 15 rounds which will see teams play each other three times and have three byes each. It will again be a 40-over competition.

The 2020-21 season will see the return of the Coates Hire Namoi Super Slog T20 competition and there will also be a club-based second grade T20 competition.

The NDCA committee will meet again on Sunday, September 20, where it will discuss the draw for the coming campaign which is expected to be released by Friday, September 25.