COUNTRY Cricket NSW will investigate the financial records and running of the troubled Newcastle City and Suburban Cricket Association following a series of complaints.
Newcastle Zone Cricket administrator Alan Nichols confirmed on Wednesday that he lodged a report detailing a host of concerns about the NCSCA with Country Cricket about a month ago.
Mr Nichols said after the NCSCA refused to cooperate with his request for information, he had no choice but to forward his concerns about the "mess" to the governing body.
"City and Suburban wrote back to me to say they didn't believe we had any jurisdiction," he said.
"Under the zone constitution we can intervene when cricket comes into disrepute, I don't think anyone would say cricket hasn't been brought into disrepute with this sad saga."
The Newcastle Herald revealed last year that Newcastle's largest senior cricket competition was in crisis following a bitter power struggle that split the organisation amid allegations of bullying, financial mismanagement, lack of transparency and a disputed series of suspensions, including of several board members.
NCSCA president Phil Northey said on Wednesday he had "nothing to hide" and welcomed an audit of the association and its finances.
"We're willing to let them do a full audit and hand over the books," he said.
"We have already been audited by a reputable organisation. We're waiting to find out exactly what they will need, but we have no problem with it."
Country Cricket's Bruce Whitehouse said it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage.
Earlier this year a player-led revolution called for the entire NCSCA board to be dissolved so the embattled competition could start afresh under new leadership.
Warners Bay Cricket Club led a push to call a special general meeting where members wanted to test a vote of no-confidence in the board.
In a significant show of disapproval, almost half of the competition's clubs, which represent 50 of 110 teams, signed the petition, but the NCSCA said it was illegal because it was not signed by the "correct club delegates".
Mr Nichols said, while he had no interest in taking sides, he could not understand how the board did not act on the petition.
"If half of the teams in your competition have lost confidence in the governance, they should have acted to restore faith," he said.
After the association declined to call the special general meeting, six of the largest NCSCA clubs - making up about 500 players - defected to a rival one day and T20 competition announced by Newcastle District Cricket Association (NDCA) this week.
The renegade NCSCA clubs include Beresfield Memorial, Nelson Bay, Kotara, Warners Bay, Redhead and Valentine/Eleebana.
Existing district clubs will be invited to enter teams into the new competition that is expected to grow the NDCA competition from 117 to at least 180 teams.
A vote will be held at the NDCA annual general meeting in July to endorse the new Suburban Districts competition that will be open to incorporated clubs, other teams will have to be affiliated with a larger incorporated club to join.
Founded in 1921, the NCSCA which celebrates its centenary this year - had 110 teams and about 2450 members last year.
Mr Northey said he couldn't comment on the rival competition until after the next NCSCA board meeting. "We'll definitely be having something to say about it all once the board has met," he said.
Mr Nichols confirmed zone would be reviewing a series of controversial suspensions of four board members made by the NCSCA judiciary, with the outcome expected by the end of the month.
Andrew Kelly, Daniel Saunders, Grant Hutchings and Roy Capitao, part of a faction pushing for change in the NCSCA, were all sacked from the board and handed lengthy playing suspensions.
The NCSCA reviewed the suspensions and made slight adjustments to penalties, unsatisfied the men appealed to zone several months ago.
"C&S is of the belief that it's case closed, from their point of view they did not want to send us any information," Mr Nichols said.
"We will be looking at the processes involved and whether they came up with suitable outcomes. There will be no decision from us whether they are guilty or not."
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