Whalers pin their hopes on young talent in round one Country Cup clash with WA Invitational XI in Narrogin

Albany and Districts Cricket Association will return to a happy hunting ground in their bid to start the 2023-24 Belt-Up Country Cup campaign on a winning note. Clayton Road Oval in Narrogin will be the venue for Albany and Districts opening game of the 50-over competition on Sunday. The Whalers secured the 2021-22 Country Cup at the ground with a six-wicket win over the WA Invitational XI and then in last season’s tournament they beat the same opponent in round one by two runs at Narrogin. Jeremy Wood will captain a new-look side with Coen Marwick his deputy ahead of a round one showdown with the WA Invitational XI. Senior trio Alex Fergie, Lincoln Joy and Patrick Butler are expected to play key roles among a host of young talent named in the round one team. Star all-rounder Nathan Crudeli is unavailable for the clash, leaving selectors to pin their hopes on a number of youngsters. Teenage trio Jed Schwarzbach, Devon Jefferis and Cameron Walsh will play along with 19-year-old Englishman Rhys Lewis. Lewis is yet to play a game for his new club Royals, who had the bye in the opening round of the A-grade season but featured in a recent WA Country Colts team for a round of Twenty20 games. He will be the one overseas player the team is allowed to field per game, winning the spot ahead of four other imports in the local competition. Marwick said it was important to start the competition well. “We are hoping to get on the winners board early, in the short three-game round robin format you really don’t want to be playing catch up,” he said. “It’s always a challenge playing the Invitational XI, they have a huge pool of players to pick from and we never really know what to expect. “Without a real spearhead quick it will come down to bowling with plans and executing, great to see young Cam Walsh take four wickets in round one and be rewarded with an opportunity. “With the bat, as always the key is in the top five or six, between, Linc, Ferg, Jez, Rhys and myself, hopefully someone can have a big day and the rest can bat around them.” Albany and Districts missed out on playing in last season’s cup final, winning only one of their three qualifying games. The WA Invitational XI have named a strong round one team, including the likes of Clayton Bruce-Cherry and Tully Biglan. Great Southern Cricket Association pair Liam Want (Kojonup) and Harry Grigson (Broomehill) will also feature. The match will start at 10.30am in Narrogin while the other round one fixture will be played between Bunbury and Districts and Peel at Hay Park in Bunbury. COUNTRY CUP TEAMS Clayton Road Oval, Narrogin - 10.30am start Albany and Districts Jeremy Wood (C) Coen Marwick (VC) Alex Fergie Lincoln Joy Clayton Wood Hayden Davies Patrick Butler Jed Schwarzbach Joe Swann Devon Jefferis Cameron Walsh Rhys Lewis WA Invitational XI Clayton Bruce-Cherry Tully Biglan Gerard McKenna Bryn Bursill Jack Buswell Harry Grigson Harry Goesch Kegan Lynch Liam Want Daniel Brabham Riley Stenhouse