NDWCA’s 2023/24 season to get underway on Saturday night

Narrabri District Women’s Cricket Associations’ 2023/24 campaign will get underway this Saturday, with the second season of the Ian McGregor Trophy competition to be the biggest and best by far.

The NDWCA competition will again feature four teams, however, they will now play against one another three times each across an extended nine-round regular season. That is an increase of six games from the previous campaign, which saw all teams play against one another once across a three-round regular season.

Six of the 2023/24 campaign fixtures will be played before the Christmas and New Year break, with round six to be contested on Friday and Saturday, December 9 and 10. The matches played on those nights will coincide with the NDWCA’s ‘Pink Stumps Round’, which will raise funds for Narrabri’s local Pink Up Namoi cause.

The 2023/24 season will then resume on Saturday, February 3, following the holiday break and the two-week finals series will get underway on Saturday, February 24.

The teams ranked second and third on the competition ladder will play off in the preliminary final that night for the chance to meet the minor premiers in the decider the following week on Saturday, March 2.

All four teams in the competition have remained unchanged for the new season, with defending champs Wahgunyah Dreamtime Mirri (blue), the 2022/23 season’s grand finalists Wilga Hotel (green), and Nandewar Motel (pink) and GFS Engineering (purple) all ready to go around again.

Wahgunyah Dreamtime Mirri will be captained by Angie Knox, Wilga Hotel will be led by Jacki Ward, Nandewar Motel will be skipped by Michelle O’Connor, and GFS Engineering will be captained by Alecia Tubner.

Saturday’s round one games will see a grand final rematch between Wilga Hotel and Wahgunyah Dreamtime Mirri contested at Hogan Oval, while the GFS Engineering and Nandewar Motel sides go head-to-head over at Collins Park.

NDWCA president Mark Page told The Courier that he was excited for the second season of the Ian McGregor Trophy competition to get underway.

“We start on Saturday night and it’s pretty awesome to start the season off with a grand final rematch,” Page said.

“Hopefully it’s as big a game as it was in the grand final earlier this year.

“I’m pumped for the new season.

“I’m also really excited to see an extended competition. The consensus with everyone at the meetings we had after last season was that it was too short of a season.

“The teams are all excited to have a longer competition and to play much more regularly now, and to get around the girls, build that camaraderie and have a bit of fun.

“I’m excited to see them develop over the nine weeks. Most of the girls have only played three competitive games in their life, and they’re going to triple that this season. The skill level and development for all the girls this season is going to be huge.”

The competition will again be played under the T20 format this season, with matches to be contested at night under lights after NDCA games.

The pitch length will remain at 18 metres, but the boundary length has been extended from 45 to 50 metres.

Overs will still be six legal deliveries and will again be capped at eight balls in total.