Warrnambool and District Cricket Association encourages juniors to push for Melbourne Country Week

Preparation for its return to the February competition’s top grade has begun.

Two WDCA sides – the experienced Gold and youthful Blue – played off in the Festival of Cricket grand final at Allansford on Sunday.

Gold skipper Nathan Murphy said the Twenty20 competition – the first representative hit-out of the summer – gave a host of teenagers a chance to impress.

“We’ll add a few to the country week squad, but I think we’re going to have the two teams that played as a starting point,” he said.

“We’d like to take one or two young kids for that exposure.

“It’s good, tough cricket and they learn how to get through it.”

Dennington teenager Nick King represented WDCA earlier this year.

The Prahran recruit has since gone on to represent Victoria at under 17 level and is now preparing to don the baggy blue at the under 19 nationals.

“We took Nick King last year and he’s obviously gone on to bigger and better things,” Murphy said. 

Blue captain Jason Mungean, one of the veterans in the under 23 team, nominated Russells Creek pair Sam Younghusband and Charlie Locke as two players worthy of a country week call-up.

“I would hope Sam and Charlie put their hands up because they have the patience to do it,” he said.

“They’re both still under 17s.”

WDCA claimed Melbourne Country Week division two honours earlier this year.

The grand final win elevated it to provincial grade for 2016, in place of region rival South West which has been relegated.

“It is really, really exciting and hopefully we can take the confidence in there that we’re not there to make up the numbers –  we’re there to win the provincial now,” Murphy said. 

“We’re not there to stave off getting relegated, we’re there to win as many games as we can.”