Greater Hunter Coast (GHC) will field teams in NSW Women's Premier Cricket second grade and Brewer Shield (under 18) competitions next summer and wants to add a first-grade side in 2024-25.
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The Newcastle-based club entered a team in Brewer Shield last season and Cricket NSW has approved its request to add a second-grade side in a move applauded by Newcastle District Cricket Association (NDCA) chairman Paul Marjoribanks.
"It's opportunities for the girls playing in the Hunter or on the Central Coast, that's the catchment area, and it's really exciting times for women's cricket in Newcastle," Marjoribanks said.
"They can now start playing at 10 or 11 and go through those local competitions into senior competitions in Newcastle and the Central Coast, and then now they have the opportunity to play premier cricket all from Newcastle.
"That need to link with a Sydney club is gone. You'll get home games, you'll practise locally and be part of a local club, so it's really fantastic."
Greater Hunter Coast had a successful maiden campaign in Brewer Shield, finishing third after 12 wins and four losses.
Multi-sport talent Caoimhe Bray, who is also in the Jets Academy for football, only turned 13 at the start of the season but finished the competition as the fifth highest run scorer with a total of 510 runs at an average of 42.5. She also had the third-best bowling statistic of 23 wickets.
Bray played for Country NSW at the 2022-23 under-16 and under-19 national championships.
"The team did really well," Marjoribanks said.
"There's just such a nursery of young players in the Hunter, Newcastle, Central Coast area at the moment. There really is a lot of talent and so much has been going to Sydney over the last 10 years.
"That was their only option so a lot of them played around the northern Sydney clubs. An expressions of interest has been put out on social media and the enquiry level has been quite high from females across the district.
"There's naturally a couple of players from last year who are too old now for Brewer so it gives them that opportunity to stay with the club."
Expressions of interest close on Friday and an online information night will be held on June 29 with trials expected to take place in the next month or two.
Greater Hunter Coast's expansion continues the rapid growth of female cricket in the region.
In four short summers, the NDCA women's T20 midweek competition has exploded from four teams to 14 across two grades - four in division one and nine in division two - and Marjoribanks said early indications were the growth would continue next season.
The NDCA women's final was played at No.1 Sportsground for the first time last December in a further milestone moment for the female game.
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