JUNIOR cricket country week is back early next year, with the Sunraysia Cricket Association making its way down to face our young stars of the Swan Hill District Cricket Association (SHDCA).
It will be held over three days from January 10-12 in Swan Hill and Kerang.
SHDCA president Greg Cruickshank told The Guardian the boys and girls have been training hard and will find out if they’re selected soon.
“The kids have been training since September, and they’re down to the last selection cut now,” he said.
Players selected in the under-16s age group will play 50-over games, while under-15s and 13s compete in 40-over contests.
In the SHDCA’s junior competitions, innings are split, with each side facing 25 overs each night over a two-day game in the under-16s; however, this will not be the case for country week.
“There’ll be no swapping midway through an innings,” Cruickshank said. “This is the next level up, and these are our representative teams who are expected to play proper cricket.”
These matches are crucial for those hoping to be picked in next year’s Youth Premier League side, with a good performance at country week going a long way to ensuring selection.
Each ground in the Swan Hill area, including Woorinen, North Park, Alan Garden, Ken Harrison, Showgrounds and Boga, is set to host a match.
“The clubs will provide the wicket and lunches for the players,” Cruickshank said. “Clubs will be reimbursed and can generate a bit of money from it, which is good.”
Talks are underway for a senior country week against the Red Cliffs and Wimmera Mallee cricket associations; however, these are only preliminary, according to Cruickshank.
“There have been informal conversations about having a senior country week, but with this shocking start to the season, my time has been invested in making sure our competition got running first, so it’s been on the back burner,” he said.
“It may not be this season, but we could get it up next year.
“My idea would be is the three associations rotate hosting each year, and you have a two-day carnival where you play two games of cricket over three days.”
