LUKE Blackaby and Grant Stewart are among key inclusions set to bolster Newcastle District Cricket Association clubs when competition resumes on Saturday.
Blackaby has been named for Waratah-Mayfield, Stewart and Andrew Harriott are set to line-up together for University while Rahul Bakshi (Cardiff-Boolaroo), Michael Richardson (Charlestown) and Daniel McGovern (Wallsend) are also back.
No play was possible last weekend, meaning 90 overs remain in all matches. Two-day laws stay in place (red ball, white uniforms, no fielding restrictions), but the team batting first still has a compulsory close of innings at the halfway mark.
Blackaby, who played seven first-class matches between 2010 and 2012, will be having his first hit for the Waratahs this summer and replaces NSW Country representative Josh McTaggart.
Stewart, a current English county all-rounder at Kent, is home visiting family while Uni's stand-in skipper Harriott scored 214 runs from three digs in one dayers earlier this campaign.
* DANIEL Bailey is poised to face off with his former club for the first time when Charlestown visit Belmont at Cahill Oval on Saturday.
Bailey switched sides between seasons.
The seamer finds himself up against Jace Lawson, who was listed to return for Belmont last weekend in what would've been his first appearance this season.
Bailey and Lawson played together for Belmont in the 2020-21 grand final, taking a combined seven wickets in a narrow loss to Wests.
* CITY'S Oli Carter leads the NDCA player of the year points with 12 at the midway stage of the 2022-23 season.
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