Local cricket is back in full swing with five rounds already completed. Heath Kendall has a look at how teams have started the season and some of the best performed players. Picture: Ben Gross.
THE Sunraysia Cricket Association (SCA) has only been going for three weeks, but already five rounds have been completed.
A change to the fixturing has seen one 40 over and four Twenty20 matches played to get the season under way.
The past two weeks has seen two rounds played over the weekend.
The format changes have been welcomed by local players and officials and look set to become a regular part of SCA moving forward.
But this Saturday play returns to the traditional two-day format.
As we head into the longer format of the game, only percentage separates the top three sides.
Workers Gol Gol, Irymple and reigning premiers Mildura Settlers head the table with four wins from five matches.
Nichols Point make up the final spot in the four with three wins and two losses, one game clear of Mildura West.
Merbein South, Mildura West and Coomealla Wentworth bring up the tail, each with one win.
With the bat Nichols Point new captain Brad Thomas leads the way with 168 runs, closely followed by Workers Gol Gol’s Wade Hancock, who has scored 160 from his five innings.
Mildura West’s new recruit Aaron Feroz leads the way with the ball.
Feroz has taken 12 wickets at an average of 7.50.
Veteran Merbein South paceman Shane Trinick is next with 10 wickets at an average of 10.
Trinick has been a star of the SCA competition over the past two decades and last Friday night reached 300 games.
He celebrated the milestone with the Saints’ first win and he will be hoping it is the first of many to come.
