Almost 10,000 fans packed into the venue on January 5 to see Josh Philippe steer the Sixers to a seven-wicket victory over Adelaide Strikers with three balls to spare.

Cricket NSW northern NSW area manager Martin Garoni said it was exciting the BBL09 champions will return to the area on January 4 next year for a clash with Brisbane Heat.

"We were absolutely stoked with the response from people as far south as Forster right up to the Queensland border and out to the Northern Inland areas," he said.

"The Northern NSW region really adopted the game and the Sixers and we're excited about bringing a game back against Brisbane Heat - our cross-border rivals."

Garoni said the sellout crowd last year showcased there was a significant amount of interest in the twenty20 format in regional areas.

"If you look at our regional bash teams, they're becoming more prominent and we're looking forward to providing more opportunities for both boys and girls," he said.

"This is a fantastic bump to the start of our season which is coming up later in the year.

"To be able to promote the game and provide opportunities for people to participate makes it easier to enthuse people in and around the game."

Garoni admitted the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could mean fewer tickets became available.

"We'll take the best medical advice in the lead-up to the game so we're compliant with COVID restrictions and we'll adhere to those guidelines," he said.

"It might mean a reduced crowd size, but we're confident the atmosphere will be the same."

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