BUSSELTON-MARGARET RIVER look set to take a strong team to Perth for Country Week cricket later this month, in search of their second A-Section title.
Skippered by off spinner Ben Payne from Yallingup-Oddbods, the team is likely to include key batsmen Alex Roberts (Dunsborough), Ben Lloyd (St Marys) and Nayton Colombera (Yallingup-Oddbods), who are all potential match-winners on their day.
Big hitting James Courtney-Bennett, who was last year's Country Week player of the week for Busselton-Margaret River, is also likely to represent the local team.
Key fast bowlers for Busselton-Margaret River may include Dylan Tomlinson (St Marys) and Scott Young (Yallingup-Oddbods), with Young's teammate, left-armer Matt Connaughton, under an injury cloud and unfortunately an unlikely starter.
Head team selector Neil Langenhoven has been busy for the past month trying to assemble the strongest possible team for Busselton-Margaret River to take to Perth.
"We've got a good mix of youth and experience this year, with young players Alex Cooke and Elijah Truscott from Dunsborough keen to play and keen to do their best," he said.
Young batsman Troyden Thorp from Yallingup-Oddbods, who has been playing this season for Scarborough in Perth, is unfortunately unavailable to play for Busselton-Margaret River.
Country Week starts on January 16.
Busselton-Margaret River will play Geraldton, Peel and Esperance in their preliminary games on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday in A-Section, with the semi-finals on Thursday and the grand final - at the WACA Ground - on Friday, January 21.
Busselton-Margaret River have only won A-Section at Country Week once, in 2012, but have come close in many other years.
Only one team from Busselton-Margaret River will play in Country Week this year.
Although Busselton-Margaret River have not been able to get a permanent manager for the week, Paul Thompson will help to assist the side, said Langenhoven.
Local fixtures in the Busselton-Margaret River Cricket Association will resume this Saturday, following the two-week break for Christmas and New Year.
Busselton-Margaret River's T20 competition will then start on Friday, January 14 for A-Grade and B-Grade teams, with the C-Grade T20 competition starting on Saturday, January 15.
Unfortunately for the organisers, an odd number of teams are competing in all three divisions (5 sides in A-Grade and B-Grade and 7 sides in C-Grade), which has left room for only a single round robin in each division.
The T20 grand finals will be held on Saturday, February 12 at Barnard Park.
