A JUNIOR cricket challenge to help kick-start the return of Country Week competition had Swan Hill District taking on Goulburn Murray at Kerang.
Billed as the inaugural annual Murray Plains Junior Challenge, under-13s, 15s and 17s battled out a 40-overs-a-side competition.
SHDC president Greg Cruickshank said that in recent years it had been very challenging to get any sort of cricket for a representative side before they play in Junior Country Week.
Cruickshank said Goulburn Murray put its name on the shield first, winning the under-17 and under-15 games, while Swan Hill did the best in the under-13s.
He said the tournament was as much about giving the players a chance to work together as a side and get a feel for an opposition they would not otherwise meet in competition.
“Today has given these kids a good trial and exposure to what playing the game is like at the next level, which is an important step in their progress,” Cruickshank said.
“It also provides a perfect way to finetune both representative teams with a good, decent hit before they play off in their respective Country Week competitions next month.”
The brainchild of Cruickshank and Goulburn Murray’s Marcus Maher, the competition for the Peter Walsh shield, named after the Murray Plains MP, reflected the huge role sport plays in the communities of both associations.
The 2024 shield match will be played at Cohuna.
