THE Indian Premier League took international cricket by storm earlier this year and a similar concept could take off in the Central West with plans for a possible Orange Premier League mooted.

Big changes will be adopted in all Orange District Cricket Association competitions following a meeting on Wednesday night.

All Saturday first grade matches will be two-dayers from the start of the upcoming season while the Royal Hotel Cup will now be played with just Orange teams.

Sides from Bathurst, Molong and Lithgow will no longer participate in the 40-over day/night competition with the six Orange teams to contest the Friday night competition, which will be played prior to the Christmas break.

Points from the Royal Hotel Cup will also count towards the ODCA first grade competition to ensure the one-day format of the game still contributes towards the standings.

But in the most radical change for the upcoming season, ODCA officials are excited about adopting a proposal for the inception of an IPL-like competition to be played in the new year.

The Orange Premier League, as it is being referred to in its infancy, will be played in a Twenty20 format and will run on Friday nights following the Christmas break in place of Royal Hotel Cup fixtures.

Organisers of the competition are floating the idea of having four teams participate with players from each of the ODCA’s four grades invited to nominate for a player draft.

Team captains can then select their teams from the players nominated with the current club structure abandoned.

Players from Bathurst, Molong and Lithgow are also invited to nominate for the draft in a move that ODCA secretary Peter Jarick hopes will help the competition take off.

“All players who want to play whether they’re from Lithgow, Molong, Bathurst can nominate to play in it,” Jarick said.

“We’re only bringing it out for half of the season and if it works well we might invite Bathurst (teams) into it.

“I just hope Bathurst get involved and, pie in the sky, let’s get a Dubbo franchise. This could be the Central West Premier League.”

Plans for the OPL are still in their infancy but Jarick is keen for the proposal to be investigated further.

ODCA first grade will be the only competition playing two-day games all season and the grade structure for the lower grades could remain the same as last season depending on how many teams nominate.

Team nominations close on Monday, August 25.