Pink Slugs to host defending champions when MA Connolly Cup campaign begins on November 7

Northern Inland Cricket Council has released the draw for the 2021-22 MA Connolly Cup season which includes a round one clash between Narrabri District Cricket Association and the defending champions Gunnedah.

The NDCA’s first XI will host that match at Collins Park when the rep season gets underway on Sunday, November 7.

This season, nine teams will contest the competition, once again across two conferences.

The Namoi Conference is made up of Narrabri, Gunnedah, Tamworth, Quirindi and a Central North Zone Colts (under-18s) team, while the Gwydir Conference includes Moree, Armidale, Gwydir and Inverell.

The Namoi Conference included six teams during the 2020-21 campaign, however, Narrabri has only fielded one team this season and Peel Valley has dropped out.

The addition of the CNZ Colts team has boosted the number of teams from four to five.

Meanwhile, Walcha was the only loss from the Gwydir Conference which has been shortened from five teams to four.

The Namoi Conference will be contested across five rounds, the first of which will see Narrabri host Gunnedah and Tamworth host the CNZ Colts side on November 7.

Quirindi will have the bye that day.

Round two will then be played on Sunday, November 21, followed by round three on Sunday, December 5, round four on Sunday, December 19 and round five on Sunday, January 30.

Narrabri will travel away for its round two and three matches when it takes on Quirindi and the CNZ Colts side (in Tamworth) respectively.

The Pink Slugs will then have the round four bye before returning home in round five to host Tamworth in round five.

The Gwydir Conference will be contested across three rounds. The first will be contested on Sunday,

November 21, followed by round two on Sunday, December 5 and round three on Sunday, January 30.

The teams which finish ranked first and second on their respective conferences’ ladders will then advance to the semi-finals, which will be played on Sunday, February 13.

The top-ranked Namoi Conference team will host the second-placed Gwydir Conference team on that day, while the top-ranked Gwydir Conference team will host the second-placed Namoi Conference team.

The winners of those two matches will advance to the final which will be played on Sunday, February 20.