With a potential Bathurst-Orange merger looming ahead of 2019-2020, the future of three Bathurst clubs remains uncertain, with the clubs set to meet on Friday night to discuss a potential merger of their own.
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Cetennials Bulls club member Paul Knight confirmed that Bushrangers, Centennials Bulls and ORC will all meet on Friday night.
He said he hopes a decision will be made on the night on whether the three clubs will merge.
"It's early days but we're finally getting the executives from all sides to sit down and look at what options we have for the future," he said.
"We're three struggling clubs coming together with one goal. Whether the powers at be can bump horns at the same table and end up wearing some colour shirts, we'll find out come 8pm on Friday night.
"I think a decision will be made. In the real world, we'd be able to field two semi-competitive second grade sides, hopefully three President Cup sides and maybe a third grade side. The most important thing, is to have some juniors too."
Centennials Bulls finished last in the 2018-19 Bathurst District Cricket Association first grade competition, while ORC withdrew from the competition before the start of last season.
Bushrangers fielded teams in second grade, President's Cup and third grade.
Knight said a potential new club would not be able to field a team in first grade for the 2019-20 season.
"I'll be quite blunt and honest, even if the three clubs merged together, we don't have the cattle to put a competitive first grade side in," he said.
"We'd be looking at longevity and building up for two season or three seasons down the track and entering a team in first grade.
"[Centennials captain] Andrew Brown did a ring around of our first grade side from last year and he's only got three players returning. The Lithgow contingent is not coming back, with the only one remaining is Mick Hutchinson. The Gurney brothers (Joel and Ryan) and Chris Redding, they're all going to play back in Lithgow.
"I only spoke to ORC the other day and they've got a hand full of kids but they aren't ready to play first grade and we've got 40-year-old's running around in second grade that are too old to be playing first grade. By bringing the three clubs together, we could have three or four junior sides that could one day play first grade."
Centennials last first grade premiership came back in 2010-11, while ORC most recent first grade honour came in 2011-12.
Bushrangers have never played in first grade.
The potential merger comes ahead of a BDCA annual general meeting on Wednesday, with a relaunch of the BOIDC one of the main topics up for discussion due to a decrease in playing numbers.
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