General manager Michael Coulter said the sale was a ‘very good deal’ for council, as the Education Department agreed to part with the land for $25,000, plus GST.

The land was scheduled to be auctioned earlier in the year, but was withdrawn from sale after public outcry.

For the cricketers, the sale would have meant the waste of more than 20-years effort in maintaining and improving the grounds, and the loss of the shire’s only turf pitch.

For ratepayers, the sale would have resulted in a hefty price to fill and construct a new pitch across the road at Donnelly-Welsh Playing Fields.

Not only was Thistle Park the traditional site for the grand final of the district cricket every year, but it saw the first strokes of Australian representative batsman, Phillip Hughes.

With Phillip Hughes set to make his Ashesdebut in the coming weeks, local cricket club president Joe Costa said all Macksville people had rediscovered their love of cricket.

“We are extremely pleased with this outcome and look forward to coming up with an agreement with council,” he said.

He thanked council for its diligence in chasing the purchase of the oval. The cricket club was expected to retain its role in maintaining, mowing and generally caring for the condition of the fields.

Mr Costa said the club already had plans for the ground’s improvement, including new cricket nets for Macksville, to replace those on Willis Street.

If it had been sold at auction, the land was expected to have been turned into housing.

Council’s purchase price was founded on the understanding the land was flood-prone, with no building entitlement.