Bathurst were scheduled to play host to Lithgow in Sunday's opener but rain intervened, and Bathurst will now instead play the new round one game against Molong on November 28.

Lithgow pulled out of the competition straight after the washed out game, leaving six districts nominated in the competition.

Thankfully for organisers the rework of the draw was relatively simply, chopping byes out of the draw and also giving them the chance to add a final into the mix.

Central West Cricket Council president Mark Frecklington said the reworked avoided many headaches normally associated with such a task.

"We found out about Lithgow's withdrawal on Monday. Given the weekend was washed out and we needed to rework the draw, it was easy for us to start from scratch with a competition starting on November 28, plus we were able to include a final now," he said.

"Six teams is certainly easier to work with. We originally made it work with seven but having six means we now have time to play that final."

Frecklington is hopeful that the Rod Hartas Trophy will welcome back Lithgow in the future and that the competition can continue to be a big benefit for cricket around the region.

"I was initially surprised by Lithgow's nomination, since they haven't shown too much interest in 50 over cricket recently, but I was happy to see it. It is what it is," he said.

"This comp gives Mudgee, Gulong, Blue Mountains and Molong the chance to play some rep cricket and at the same time for Orange and Bathurst it lets them put in a team to help develop younger players.

"It also gives some of their fringe players a chance to play representative cricket when they otherwise would have missed out."

In the other new round one fixtures Blue Mountains will play host to Mudgee and Orange will host Gulgong.

The Rod Hartas Trophy now has a final penned in for February 13.

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