AS the state government prepares to spend in the vicinity of half a billion dollars on sporting infrastructure in and around Penrith, an estimated $15 million would help bring first-class cricket back to Newcastle.
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Newcastle has not hosted a professional-level cricket match in more than eight years, since the Sheffield Shield clash between NSW and Western Australia at No.1 Sportsground in February, 2015.
Despite City of Newcastle investing $8 million to upgrade facilities at No.1, it still does not meet criteria to qualify as a first-class cricket venue.
But after a recent meeting with council, also attended by AFL officials, Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon was confident No.1 could be back in action for Sheffield Shield, Marsh Cup (one-day) and women's national-league matches within 18 months.
But first $15 million is needed to fund new changerooms for players, and improved facilities for media and spectators. A council application last year for a state government grant of $5 million for the project was knocked back.
Germon said the cost of completing the upgrade of No.1 was "not prohibitive" and certainly far less expensive than building a stadium from scratch.
"Our discussions with the state government have been about supporting our infrastructure strategy, and Newcastle is very high on our list of priorities," Germon told the Newcastle Herald.
"We're very grateful for the state government's support for sport, generally, and cricket. But we'd like to see them help us in our desire to bring cricket back to Newcastle."
Cricket NSW is also hopeful a stadium capable of hosting AFL and international-standard cricket matches will be built in the proposed sporting precinct at Broadmeadow, but there was no mention of such an amenity on a draft "masterplan" leaked to the Herald late last year.
Instead the business case, which has not been confirmed by the state government, was to build a new entertainment centre, an aquatic centre, hotels, an eat street and residences.
That has not deterred Cricket NSW, who recently released concept plans for a cricket/AFL stadium at Broadmedow.
"We'd still like to do both," Germon said.
"We certainly have not lost our enthusiasm to both develop No.1 and ensure that the masterplan for Hunter Park includes provision for both AFL and cricket.
"From our perspective, this is not just about cricket. We think Newcastle deserves more world-class sport and we'd like to be part of that."
If a new stadium was built at Broadmeadow, Germon said it would be in line to host Big Bash League and potentially Test matches and other international fixtures.
In the meantime, No.1 would potentially be used for interstate four-day and one-day matches.
"In our regional-content strategy, we've provisions for Newcastle to host Sheffield Shield, Marsh Cup one-day matches and WNCL," Germon said.
"But we just need those upgrades ... next season might be a bit ambitious.
"But the season after, I would have thought that was possible."
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