The 1914-15 season got under way against the I background of the outbreak of World War I.
Prior to the start of the season a significant development took place with the amalgamation of the HRDCA and the Maitland District Junior Cricket Association. After lengthy and difficult negotiations, it was agreed that the two bodies should disband and a special meeting should be called to form a new organisation. At this meeting a resolution was passed that “a new Association be formed to be known as the Hunter River District Cricket Association”. As the senior Association had always held this title, the decision really amounted to the Junior Association going out of existence.
The amalgamation brought about the reintroduction of a senior and junior competition run by the HRDCA .
There was a senior competition of 6 teams with the only change being that the Brewery replaced Cessnock which did not re-affiliate.
In the junior competition there were 11 teams with a number coming from clubs that had previously played in the competitions of the Maitland District Junior Cricket Association, such as South United, Robins and St Marys. A number of others had previously played in the competitions of the Senior Association before switching across to the Junior Association – clubs such as Raymond Terrace, Millers Forest, Mulbring, Buchanan, Lochinvar and Kurri Kurri.
The senior competition was won by Northern Division and the junior by Buchanan. The Annual Report stated that following the amalgamation, “play was keen enough but it was not equal to the standard of previous years”. The senior competition had also been disrupted when the Brewery Club was forced to disband and the East Maitland Literary Institute team failed to complete the season.
The representative scene also altered. The NSWCA country scheme was curtailed with no Metropolitan representative teams visiting country centres as in previous seasons. In its place the HRDCA arranged a match at Christmas against a NSW Cricket Union team. Matches to cater for the new junior teams were arranged against Singleton Combined Juniors and against the Branxton District Cricket Association.