Behind The Stumps: Trio heading north, women's cricket kicks off

THREE Warrnambool and District Cricket Association stars will again represent Vic Country at the Australian Country Cricket Championships.

Allansford's Ben Boyd, Russells Creek skipper Cam Williams and Brierly-Christ Church leader Matthew Love will head up to Toowoomba, Queensland, to take part in the championships from January 3 to 11.

Boyd will captain the side for the sixth straight year as Vic Country seeks redemption for last year's runner-up finish.

Love, who spent time in Melbourne playing Victorian Premier Cricket, returns to the 14-player team after moving back to Warrnambool during the off-season.

Williams - a wicket-keeper-batsman - scored his third inclusion in the squad and will look to back up an impressive 2019 championships, which saw him collect the Ian Healy wicket-keeping award.

Vic Country coach Mark Ridgway, a former first-class player with Tasmania and current Victorian Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Series selector, said the inclusion of several players with Premier Cricket experience would strengthen the line up.

"At last year's championships it was our bowlers' performances that got us over the line in most matches," he said.

"The inclusions of (Nathan) Walsh, Love, (Sam) Miller, (Jack) Craig and (Kieran) Voelkl in the top and middle-order will strengthen our batting and should have us being very competitive again."

THE WDCA will hold its first women's match on Sunday at Warrnambool's Mack Oval.

The day starts at 12:30pm with warm-up and skills before the match starts at 1pm.

Two even teams - compiled of players who turn up - will play a twenty20 game with the goal of improving skills and game knowledge.

This Sunday is the first of three games before Christmas with the second and third to be held on December 8 and 15. Another three are planned for after the festive season.

WDCA chairperson Gordon McLeod encouraged any players - registered or not - to head down.

"It will be similar to the real rules and if we have less than 11 then the lowest scoring batters can have another go," he said.

"They will all get a good chance to have a bat and bowl under the rules. Just practicing and playing under match conditions is all about having fun and not about winning the game."

THIS year's edition of the Grassmere Cricket Association's John McDonald Junior Clinic is going to be a another bumper day, according to carnival coordinator Glenn Mansbridge.

The clinic, which is aimed at kids under 18, will take place before the GCA's division one twenty20 grand final at Killarney on January 5.

Each year the first 100 kids to arrive receive a showbag but this year one lucky participant will win $500 worth of cricket gear thanks to Kookaburra.

Cricket Victoria qualified coaches will be on hand to take participants through a junior program while older kids will jump into the nets to get some batting and bowling tips.

Mansbridge hoped the clinic would surpass the 100-participant mark after 85 turned up for last season's edition.

"It's all about just keeping grassroots cricket going and we want people to come along and have a good day," he said. "We hope the kids are going to walk away with some goodies and have learnt a bit about cricket."

Bevan Stokie (Wesley-CBC) 76; Alastair Templeton (West Warrnambool) 68; Geoffrey Williams (Nestles) 59, one assisted run out; Charlie Blacker (West Warrnambool) 54*, one catch; Timothy McDonald (Allansford) 47, one catch; Campbell Love (Brierly-Christ Church) 46, 1-19; Walker Owen (Wesley-CBC) 5-28; Thomas Feely (Port Fairy) 4-50, one catch; Henry Walker (Dennington) 3-9, one catch; Alex Strauch (Nestles) 3-14; Conner Richardson (Woodford) 3-18;

Jethro Serle (Wangoom) 107; Lachlan Morrison (Wangoom) 84*, one catch; Justin Coates (Grassmere) 68*, one unassisted run out; Phillip Edwards (Mailors Flat) 57; Matt Boyle (Mailors Flat) 57; Braden Hotker (Grassmere) 44, 2-16; Chamika Fernando (Wangoom) 4-15, 58; Tim Bryce (Panmure) 3-23, 50; Lachlan Glare (Hawkesdale) 4-10; Sam Mahony (Panmure) 3-22; David Altmann (Wangoom) 3-24;

Gus Bourke (Noorat) 82, 2-53; Timothy Place (Pomborneit) 70, 3-26; David Murphy (Pomborneit) 61; Fraser Lucas (Bookaar) 59, one catch; Johnathon Benallack (Cobden) 53, two catches; Clinton Baker (Mortlake) 50*, 3-18, one catch; Kusan Niranjana (Camperdown) 5-23, one catch; Tim Keane (Terang) 4-14; Jackson Rock (Cobden) 4-19, one catch; Sam Munro (Terang) 3-10; Liam Geary (Terang) 3-12, one catch;

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