A merger between Hastings River District Cricket Association and Macleay Valley Cricket Association will generate some much-needed interest around cricket in both regions.
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That's what association presidents Craig Lobegeier and Mark Smee hope when it comes to the first grade competition anyway.
Mr Lobegeier and Mr Smee believe the merger ahead of the 2022/2023 season will provide a breath of fresh air for both players and administrators as the sport continues its battle to find ways to reinvent itself.
"It's a fresh start and a new start which is going to have to continually happen for any game to survive," Mr Smee said.
"It's an injection and boost to people's enthusiasm. We're not calling it a Premier League, it's just an extended first grade. It gives players the chance to develop which is important, especially for young players."
Hastings will be represented by five clubs - Beechwood, Macquarie, Port City Leagues, Port Pirates and Wauchope.
Macleay's four teams - Nulla, Rovers, South West Rocks and Frederickton - will complete the nine-team competition which will start on October 8.
The new competition will take the place of the now-defunct Mid North Coast Premier Cricket League, where travel proved to be the major stumbling block.
Mr Smee was confident that won't be an issue with the Hastings-Macleay teams.
"Historically travel has been an issue, but these days it's 35-minutes to Port Macquarie so it's not that big of a concern," he said.
"Manning don't have any real concerns about it so rather than it being like we were leaving them out of it, we thought now is the chance for us to see how it does work."
The Macleay president was confident the established first grade teams from the Macleay region will give their Hastings counterparts something to think about.
A number of teams could potentially win the competition.
"It's shaping up to be one of those competitions where you can't say who's going to win it," Mr Smee said.
"Everybody will be very keen to win the new merged competition which gives everyone a bit of an incentive."
Mr Lobegeier was also hopeful players would get a boost to their excitement levels after some had become bored with the previous local competition.
"There's no doubt in my mind it will improve the quality and the interest and that's a big thing, trying to get interest," he said.
"People get a bit stale, especially where you've got teams that dominate and now those teams that dominate will get a chance to play one another."
