In a huge boost for the local Holbrook DCA, three of its star players have been chosen to represent Riverina opens side in the NSW Country championships this weekend.
Henty pair Al Edis and Grant Forest will be joined by TRYC captain Jeremy Bunn. Both Edis and Bunn represented last year when Riverina were beaten by Newcastle in the final. Forest, who represented Riverina in under age cricket will make his opens debut and is in scintillating form with the bat making almost four hundred runs in his last four innings. Edis is regarded as one of the regions most consistent all rounder’s, while Bunn has taken his wicket keeping to a higher level and been duly rewarded.
Holbrook DCA has the most representatives than any of the other Riverina associations (24 in all) and follows on from the association’s remarkable turnover of junior representatives for Riverina. Former Holbrook cricketer Steven Taylor was originally selected, but is unavailable this week end. The side is coached by ex Riverina batsman Anthony Baker.
The carnival features the eight NSW country cricket zones from across the state - Newcastle, Central North, Central Coast, North Coast, Illawarra, Southern, Western and Riverina zones. It is held on the Central Coast and is played over three days starting this Friday. The NSW Country team is selected from this carnival to play in the Australian titles in January 2010.
The Australian championships this year will be hosted by Cricket Albury Wodonga and will feature NSW, SA, WA, Victoria, QLD, ACT, Northern Territory and East Asia Pacific. The South Australian side will be coached by former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie. NSW is coached by legendary Newcastle cricketer Mark Curry.
The championships run from Jan 2 to Jan 14 and on January 9th a match between the Australian Country eleven and the Australian Cricket Association (Masters) side will be played under lights at Lavington.
BRAND BLASTS
BRILLIANT 156
Culcairn run machine Steven Brand continued his magnificent start to the HDCA season by blasting his way to a superb undefeated innings of 156 against TRYC at The Rock.
Brand has now compiled 405 runs at an average of 101.25 and together with Henty opening batsmen Grant Forest are having an intriguing individual duel to be the leading run scorer.
Culcairn led by Brand and Jamie Lennon had no trouble in passing TRYC total of 4/138, the pair put on 235 runs for the first wicket. Lennon finished with 71. Culcairn posted 2/269.
Grant Forest once again starred for Henty when the home side defeated Holbrook in a match played in persistent drizzle after the first hours play, winning by 47 runs.
Forest with (94) and a fine innings of (64) from Grant Gardiner set up the Swampies total of 4/212. Holbrook in reply looked a great chance to pull off a win before losing two vital wickets prior to drinks.
Captain Seumas McKillop (58) and Robbie Mackinlay (37) had Holbrook well placed at 1/98 off eighteen overs before youngsters Jack Macallum and Shannon Terlich produced match winning spells.
Terlich with 2/18 off eight overs showed remarkable control with his leg spinners and has now taken 14 wickets for the season.
Henty remain on top of the ladder ahead of Culcairn, with both these teams now having qualified for the one day final, to be played on January 9th.
The remaining match saw the game abandoned due to rain and slippery condition of the turf wicket at Holbrook. Osborne had batted first and made 138 off 38 overs.
The match did not commence a second innings. Ben Jones and Sam Joyce both took three wickets for the Holbrook Colts, while Jeremy Bahr top scored with (36) for Osborne.
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