By TANIA PHILLIPS
DIG OUT out the whites and strap on the pads it’s time for another big season of cricket on the Far North Coast.
Tweed District Cricket president Ian Rowlings said teams across the valley would be back on the cricket field this weekend in first, second and third grade.
Rowlings said with just three teams nominating for fourth grade this year, it was decided to amalgamate the competition with the third grade, which will now have ten teams.
“Byron Bay has pulled out of the L.J. Hooker League (first grade competition) so there are no byes in any of the grades this year,” Rowlings said.
Tweed teams play in a combined Far North Coast competition in the top two grades with the third grade competition being a purely Tweed affair.
He said all clubs were looking stronger in the senior ranks this season with the exception of South Tweed Colts who had folded as a senior club but had good junior numbers
“The Colts’ senior club has shut down – unfortunately the same guys were having to do everything every year,” he said.
“And with work commitments they just couldn’t keep doing it.”
But while Colts have folded, Murwillumbah, who didn’t run an A grade two years ago and struggled in first grade last year have been strengthened during the off-season.
“All the Clubs are a lot stronger,” he said.
“Murwillumbah picked up extra teams and will have five this year. They have picked up a lot of players.”
Rowlings himself is one of the new players for Murwillumbah and will come in to captain the first grade side in the Hooker League.
“I work down there a lot and I had a chat to Steve Twohill (Murwillumbah President) about it,” he said.
“I like what he is doing with the club.”
Murwillumbah are due to take on Tintenbar, last year’s runners-up, in their opening round match this weekend at Rabjones Oval, Murwillumbah. Rowlings concedes they will be strong opponents and a team to watch.
However the main team to watch will once again be one of the Tweed’s own – Cudgen.
Last year, after five years in the Far North Coast based Hooker League, Cudgen finally broke Tweed’s duck and became the first Tweed side to win the first grade competition – narrowly missing winning the second grade titles as well.
“They are looking good as far as I know,” Rowlings said.
“No one has left so they should be pretty strong again this year.”
Cudgen have an all-round team with strong batsmen in the form of the Wilson’s Jamie and Terry, and one of the Tweed’s fastest and most consistent bowlers, Mick Anderson, leading their attack.
Rowlings said Pottsville also hadn’t changed this year and would be once again led by dashing opening batsmen Jayden Hoare who will “try to punish every bowler in the competition again”.
Up in the hills Terranora have been training well although they will be without long-time stalwart players Dave Russell and David Parkes in the A grade ranks with both deciding to have a season off.
However Rowlings said both were still heavily involved with the club and he wouldn’t be surprised to see either back on the field before too long.
Draw: L.J. Hooker League: Terranora v Ballina Bears at Bilambil. Murwillumbah v Tintenbar-East Ballina, Rabjones Oval, Murwillumbah. Marist Brothers Lismore v Cudgen, Oakes Oval. Pottsville v Lennox Head at Seabreeze Oval, Pottsville. Alstonville v Casino Golf Club at Cavaliers Hill Park. All games commence 1pm (NSW time).
Second Grade: Tintenbar-East Ballina v Murwillumbah, Kingsford Smith South. Cudgen v Mullumbimby Brunswick, Reg Dalton Oval, Kingscliff. Lennox Head v Pottsville, Meegan Crescent View. All games commence 1.30pm (NSW time).
