The opportunity to possibly play a curtain-raiser to a Big Bash League match is the biggest news out of the changes to this season's Plan B Regional Bash.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The competition run by Cricket NSW has seen the likes of the Orana (now Western Plains) Outlaws and Central West Wranglers play at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
But this season the franchise format will largely be removed and players will represent their zones instead.
The move means the mean between Outlaws and Wranglers will now be somewhat of a Western Zone trial for the area's T20 side which will compete at the NSW Country Championships, likely the night before day one of play.
Country Cricket NSW chair Paul Majoribanks explained why the decision to change the format of the competition.
"There were a couple of reasons a review took place," he said.
"We had a couple of forfeits and a few regions weren't overly committed. It started to drop over the last two or three years but that was also due to COVID.
"Last year we had a full season and a lot of the franchise cricket where you are throwing blokes together has a bit of short life. It certainly peaked a couple of years ago, the enthusiasm was high and it was a chance for players to get to the SCG.
"ACT is no longer part of Cricket NSW either. It was an opportunity to really review it and we felt it was an opportunity to take it back to the eight zones."
READ ALSO:
Both the Outlaws and Wranglers have been fairly successful in the competition as it was.
Just a handful of years ago the Outlaws won the competition at the SCG while the Wranglers made the final at North Sydney Oval last season.
If everything goes to plan, the best two T20 sides from Country NSW will have the opportunity to play a final prior to a Big Bash match, something Majoribanks said is still in the early stages of being discussed.
"That's the plan, what we have with our Country Champs is a north and south pool," he said.
"What we would like to do is potentially have the winner of each pool as a curtain-raiser to a Sydney Sixers or Thunder match."
The new move doesn't just impact the men either.
The women's game is also set to mirror the new competition with talks about their final being a curtain-raiser as well.
"It's a new opportunity, you score a century on that stage and it's an opportunity for you to press claims for higher exposure," Majoribanks said.
"There are a lot of benefits involved in that and you get to play on a first-class ground.
"We are looking to do it for both the men and women, we want to play the women's final before a WBBL match.
"That's the plan, whether it can materialise (is different). We have the support of Cricket NSW but it's a Cricket Australia competition.
"We need to make sure that we can find the right match and logistically make it work."