While it was the Shire of Augusta Margaret River and the City of Busselton shining on the national stage, when it came to the cricket, it was Queensland Country Mens team who walked away the winners at the recent Toyota Country Cricket Championships.
Iconic WA Towns Shine on National Stage
Held between 3-11 January, the men's Championships were a proud moment for the state, having been the first time WA played host since 2018 when the tournament was last held in the mid-west town of Geraldton.
The South West’s scenic venues, including Gloucester Park, Cowaramup Oval, Barnard Park, Sir Stewart Bovell Park and the Dunsborough Playing Fields, provided the backdrop for nine days of competitive action as more that 200 of the nation’s best male country cricketers represented their states in pursuit of national honours.
Queensland were the dominant team throughout the tournament, going undefeated to become back-to-back champions in a pulsating One Day match.
Going up against New South Wales in the final, Queensland kept the Blues to 10/257 in the first innings before going on to win by three wickets in 48.3 overs.
For the home side, it was a mixed bag of results, ending the championship in fourth position.
Winning three games, WA struggled for consistency, with a number of batters making starts but unable to capitalise.
Captain Michael Tassone led his team brilliantly, ending the tournament as the squad’s highest run scorer, totalling 454 runs across the week.
With the ball, Tim Hutchinson was the pick of the team, taking 18 poles across nine games, with his best figures of 5 for 24 against New South Wales.
Whilst the team fell short, the side showed plenty of promise and gave the home crowd plenty to cheer and highlighting the depth of regional talent across the state.
Scorecards from the tournament can be found here.
WA Cricket also congratulates the WA Women’s Country XI who finished fourth in the Women’s Toyota Country Championships held in South Australia at the same time, their best ever performance in these Championships. Scorecards for their tournament can be found here.