The Sparre Cup, which has a long and proud history in Cootamundra cricket dating back to 1938, has in recent years been a launching pad for our younger cricketers as well as a competition for cricketers who do not wish to play at the higher level.

At last Tuesday’s board meeting when nominations closed, only two were received for the competition, being last year’s premiers Country Club and Stockinbingal.

Last season the Sparre Cup competition comprised of five teams, Country Club, Central Blues, Coota Hotel, Stockinbingal, and Wallendbeen.

The Coota Hotel have indicated they do not have enough players to field a team this season, and there has been no indication from Wallendbeen on whether they are forming this season.

The Central Blues, who were runners up last season, have recruited well to play in the second season of the South West Fuel Cup, and they will fill the spot that was vacated by the demise of the Central Hotel Bears. 

At last week’s board meeting it was decided to extend nominations to this Wednesday September 17, however if needed that time could be extended again to give team’s more opportunities to nominate.    

It is incredible to think that two seasons ago the then Merrin Cup competition comprised of eight teams, this season unless something happens in a hurry, that number has dropped alarmingly by fifty per cent.

The Cootamundra association finished on such a high last season with the success of the South West Fuel Cup with Temora, and for the first time in seven seasons, the Sparre Cup was a standalone competition.

In representative cricket we won both the Country Plate and the Stribley Shield competitions plus our under 16 boys won the Fife Shield against Wagga, however less than six months later we are struggling to form a club competition with just four teams. 

PK