CRICKET Australia is going into bat for Newcastle as the city faces a seventh straight season without hosting any marquee games.
The draw for the Big Big Bash League's 2022-23 campaign was released on Wednesday, and Albury has joined Coffs Harbour and Canberra as regional venues.
Wollongong will again host a Sheffield Shield match next season, while Orange will accommodate Women's National Cricket League matches for the first time.
Newcastle, meanwhile, has not been allocated any elite-level fixtures - male or female - since the Sheffield Shield match between NSW and Western Australia at No.1 Sportsground in February, 2015.
No.1 has been undergoing an $8 million upgrade that has rendered it unusable for club cricket and AFL Hunter Central Coast for more than two years. It is expected to re-open on September 17, in time for the Black Diamond Cup finals.
Improvements including new floodlights, sightscreens, an expanded playing surface, better drainage and concrete "bleacher" seating still do not meet the standards required for state-level matches, let alone international events.
To have any hope of attracting such games, it is estimated a further $15 million will need to be spent on new dressing rooms and media facilities, practice pitches, improved spectator amenities and broadcast-quality lighting.
Newcastle City Council said on Wednesday it had unsuccessfully applied for a $5 million grant from the state government earlier this year. Council said it would "continue to explore government funding opportunities for stage two in collaboration with AFL NSW and Cricket NSW."
Cricket Australia (CA) has offered to lend a hand.
In a recently released mission statement entitled "National priorities 2022-25", CA identified an upgrade of Newcastle's cricketing infrastructure as "critical", stating: "As the second-largest city in NSW, Newcastle plays a central role in the future of our game ... but Newcastle does not have a ground that is able to regularly host elite cricket. We want to change this, and change this quickly."
CA described "modest upgrades" to No.1 as a short-term solution.
"The estimated total cost for these upgrades is estimated by the Newcastle City Council to be around $15 million," it said.
"We are seeking a commitment from the Australian Government of up to $10 million."
CA's ultimate goal is for a purpose-built stadium, with a capacity of 15,000 to 20,000, to be included in the proposed sporting precinct at Broadmeadow.
"The NSW Government is currently undertaking a business case for the regeneration of the Hunter Park precinct in Broadmeadow," CA's statement said.
"The vision is to create a residential, sporting and entertainment precinct. Hunter Park has significant potential to host elite cricket matches that attracts fans and visitors alike to the region, as well as provide training and administration facilities that will support Greater Hunter representative and community cricket as well as the broader community ... whilst No.1 Sportsground is the short-term answer to ensure girls and boys across the Hunter can witness elite cricket in their own backyard, the ideal location for our future home in Newcastle is at the Hunter Park precinct.
"Acknowledging the investment Newcastle City Council has made towards No.1 Sportsground to date, we want to ensure the transition to the Hunter Park precinct is done right and examines all the options.
"We are seeking an Australian Government commitment of up to $200,000 to undertake a feasibility study and business case to further explore our vision for the Hunter Park precinct, to determine what footprint cricket should be seeking at Hunter Park and No.1 Sportsground and how we can provide the best outcome for elite, pathway, and community cricketers across the Hunter."
Describing the Hunter as a "cricket stronghold", CA expressed a desire to stage top-level events in the region.
"Bringing blockbuster content, such as international cricket and the Big Bash (Men's and Women's) Leagues to Newcastle and the Greater Hunter is a priority for Cricket NSW, the Sydney Sixers, and Cricket Australia, but this can only be achieved if suitable facilities are available," it said.
"Together with the investment in No.1 Sportsground, we will ensure Newcastle can host elite cricket again for the next decade, but also plan for the future of cricket in the Hunter for the next 50 years."
Newcastle District Cricket Association chairman Paul Marjoribanks said the support of CA, and Cricket NSW, was reassuring, but added: "Realistically, it's going to be quite a few years before we seen any high-performance cricket up here in Newcastle.
"It's obviously very pleasing to see other regions being added to the list, but it's extremely frustrating for Newcastle cricket.
"For a long time Newcastle was the go-to venue whenever Cricket NSW took Sheffield Shield games out of Sydney, but it's coming up for eight years now since we hosted a first-class match."
