Cricket NSW State Challenges Continue

It is peak-season for the Cricket NSW State Challenges with four tournaments being held this week throughout the State, with a number of umpires travelling to officiate the carnivals.

The State Challenges represent the final selection trials for players looking to represent New South Wales at the various Cricket Australia National Carnivals during the season.

In Dubbo this week, both the Under 13 and Under 14 Male State Challenges are taking place across four days featuring a combination of 40-over and T20 cricket, with Finals to be played on Thursday.

Sixteen umpires have travelled to Dubbo from all over the State to officiate fixtures in both tournaments from as far north as Grafton to as far south as Wagga Wagga.

Nearby Wellington will host a selection of matches in both the Male Under 13 and Under 14 age groups in addition to the Under 13 Female State Challenge, a two-day carnival of T20 matches which concluded today.

Blacktown International Sportspark will host the Under 16 Male State Challenge from Sunday 26 January to Tuesday 28 January with 50-over cricket to be played each day, with seven Sydney umpires being utilised for the carnival.

The umpires officiating at each carnival are as follows-

U13 Female State Challenge – Wellington, 20-21 January

Peter Done, Geoff Hoy, Ian James and Glenn Pepper

U13 Male State Challenge – Dubbo and Wellington, 20-23 January

Keith Davies, Tony Hackett, Colin Harper, Pat Holt, Peter Kent, Bill McCarron, Robert Ryan and Peter Singh

U14 Male State Challenge – Dubbo and Wellington, 20-23 January

Bob Allan, Bruce Baxter, Dennis Chaplin, Pat Kerin, Rob Pye, Graham Moon, Graham Rose and Peter Smith

U16 Male State Challenge – Blacktown International Sportspark, 26-28 January

Geoff Garland, Aidan Hughes, Sathish Kumar, Russell Miles, Daniel Nichols, Arthur Watson and Andrew Yarad

Photo – Ian James (left) and Peter Done (right) together ahead of the U13 Female State Challenge Final at Pioneer Park, Wellington (Credit: Bruce Whitehouse)