CWTA president Rod Shurdington said the change of format and additional sides had created plenty of intrigue in the association’s top-level competition.
“The two larger clubs, Central Park and Horsham Lawn, have put an extra team up each,” he said.
“That’s on the basis that both those clubs have done well in A Special as well in the past couple of years.
“I think Central Park won the grand final in A Special the past two seasons and Horsham Lawn have been runner-up the past two years, as well as having a second team in the top four.
“So instead of having four and four in pennant, by going back to three and three it means that we’ve got enough depth to have two pennant teams each from those clubs, plus Kalkee and St Michaels, which is good.”
Mr Shurdington said A Special, which now includes five teams, would feature four players a side with the number one and two male and female players each playing a singles rubber, while the numbers three and four will play an extra doubles rubber.
He said the association’s junior competition, which commences with match-play sections five and six on Friday, October 9, followed by the remaining junior divisions the following day, was looking strong.
“Overall the competition looks pretty healthy,” he said. “We’re getting plenty of numbers through our lower juniors in the match-play five and six grades, which is good.
“All the junior co-ordinators are doing a great job there.
“The beauty of the competition is that we’ve got players coming from Nhill, from Hamilton, from Stawell, from Donald, from Warracknabeal, from Dimboola.
“So even though it’s a Central Wimmera competition and most of the players are from predominantly Horsham, there’s all points of the compass represented.
“That’s really pleasing and certainly keeps the competition quite vibrant.”
Mr Shurdington said bird damage at some of Central Park’s tennis courts would prevent their use early in the season.
“There are still eight or nine courts usable, so there is a little bit of damage, but it doesn’t knock the whole facility out,” he said.
“Central Park is working closely with the council to try and get a solution to that as quickly as possible.”
Pennant competition commences on Saturday with Central Park Blue playing Horsham Lawn O’Connor at Haven, Central Park White playing Horsham Lawn Savage at Haven and Kalkee hosting St Michaels at Kalkee.
