Albany and Districts, Eastern Goldfields dominate selection in 2024 senior country week all-stars team

Country week champions Albany and Districts and runners-up Eastern Goldfields have dominated the team of the week selection, with five players from the grand final teams part of the 12 recognised. The all-stars side was selected at the completion of the 2024 senior men’s tournament in Perth and consists of five batters, one all-rounder, one wicketkeeper and five bowlers. Classy batter Lincoln Joy and English all-rounder Joe Stanley are the two representatives from Albany and Districts in the team. Joy, who plays locally for Royals, scored three half centuries to finish as the third leading runscorer in A-section with 237 runs at 47.4. Stanley was outstanding in the grand final triumph for the Whalers and the Railways star led the competition for bowling with 18 wickets at 9.72 to go with his 146 runs. Eastern Goldfields, who lost a thrilling decider by seven runs, had brilliant batter Bevan Bennell, Irish star Graham Kennedy and troubling seamer Blake Willis picked in the side. The Barry Shepherd Medal for the player of the carnival went to Bennell after he made three centuries to finish with 417 runs at an average of 139. His amazing carnival included hitting 145 on day one against Busselton-Margaret River and following up with 107 against Esperance before plundering 114 in the clash with Bunbury and Districts. Kennedy received the John Rutherford Medal as the best player in the A-section grand final after making 109 and taking 1-60 in a losing side. He enjoyed a dominant all-round week, scoring 277 runs at 55.4 and taking 16 wickets at 14.94. Peel’s Zak Tribe (227 runs), Great Southern’s Liam Want (215) and Calum How (187) all played B-section and make up the remaining three batter spots. Geraldton’s Jeremy Bedford claimed the wicketkeeper spot after making 207 runs to go with eight catches and two stumpings in A-section. Willis snared a five-wicket haul in a losing affair in the A-section final and finished the competition as the third-highest wicket-taker with 13 wickets at 17.23. Esperance’s Daniel Styles (12 wickets) and West Pilbara’s Anthony Brokate (11) impressed in A-section on their way to selection as bowlers. Eastern Districts’ James Steel had an outstanding campaign to finish with 14 wickets at 9.86 in B-section to also earn an all-star medal. SENIOR MEN’S COUNTRY WEEK ALL-STARS 1. Bevan Bennell - Eastern Goldfields (batter) 2. Lincoln Joy - Albany & Districts (batter) 3. Zak Tribe - Peel (batter) 4. Liam Want - Great Southern (batter) 5. Calum How - Newman (batter) 6. Graham Kennedy - Eastern Goldfields (all-rounder) 7. Jeremy Bedford - Geraldton (wicket keeper) 8. Joe Stanley - Albany & Districts (bowler) 9. Blake Willis - Eastern Goldfields (bowler) 10. James Steel - Eastern Districts (bowler) 11. Daniel Styles - Esperance (bowler) 12. Anthony Brokate - West Pilbara (bowler)