WA Country sides brimming with South West talent competing at Australian Country Cricket Championships

South West talent has been making important contributions for the men’s and women’s WA Country sides at the ongoing Australian Country Cricket Championships in South Australia’s Barrosa Valley. Alongside captain Tim Hutchison, Liam Renton, Cruize Ciallella, Cooper Clarke-Dehring, Michael Tassone and Bradman May, former Colts seamer Bryn Bursill and Dalyellup’s Cody Ryan earned late call-ups to the side, meaning eight of the 13-player men’s squad are from the South West. Leschenault captain Hollie Perkin is part of the women’s team alongside young guns Madison King, Matilda Richings and Molly Lincoln. The men’s team opened their campaign with a three-wicket loss to Tasmania in a one-day game on Friday. Despite a fine all-round hand from Hutchison, who top-scored with 68 not out from 90 deliveries with the bat and took 2-36 from six overs with the ball, Tasmania were able to chase down their target of 243 with one over to spare. The side atoned for the defeat by registering their first win on Saturday, a 33-run victory over New South Wales. Tassone (35 from 48 balls), Hutchison (29 not out from 30 balls) and Ryan (27 from 29 balls) all made contributions in their score of 256, with Renton (2-33 from five overs) in the wickets as they bowled the Blues out for 223. Sunday’s T20 double-header saw the team beat South Australia by three wickets, but lose to Queensland by nine runs. WA were able to chase South Australia’s total of 8-140 in the first game thanks to a 33-run unbeaten eighth-wicket stand between Ciallella (19 from 19 balls) and Hutchison (16 from 16 balls), while Ryan top-scored in the loss with 32 from 23 deliveries. In the last of the short-format days on Tuesday, WA again split their two games, beating Tasmania by eight wickets, but losing to New South Wales by 57 runs. The win over Tasmania was set up by a 54-run opening stand between May (37 from 36 balls) and Tassone (29 from 14 balls). WA’s title hopes took a hit on Wednesday with a dramatic three-wicket loss to South Australia, with the hosts winning the game in the penultimate over. Ryan was impressive with the bat again, making 41 from 57 deliveries, and Ciallella produced an impressive all-round effort, giving the innings some late impetus with 33 not out from 24 balls before taking 2-43 from eight overs with the ball. No finals will be played in the men’s competition, with the title awarded to the team which finishes the competition on top of the ladder. WA sit two games back from first-placed Victoria ahead of Thursday’s game and have a far inferior net run rate, meaning they will need to win each of their remaining contests against Queensland and Victoria in comprehensive fashion and have other results go their way to have any hope of jumping into first place. WA’s women’s side, playing only T20 matches, opened their tournament with a pair of losses on Saturday, going down to the hosts by seven wickets in their first game and New South Wales by six wickets in the second. Richings (36 not out from 40 balls) and Perkin (26 from 37 balls) did much of the heavy lifting with the bat against South Australia, but their opponents ran down their score of 94 with 17 balls to spare. The team opened Sunday with a 59-run loss to Victoria but then registered their first victory with a five-wicket win over the East Asia-Pacific Development Squad. Lincoln played a role with the ball across the two matches, finishing with figures of 1-36 from four overs against Victoria before taking 2-8 from four overs against the Development Squad, while Richings again top-scored in the defeat with 23 from 31 deliveries. After a rest day on Monday, the side suffered another two defeats on Tuesday, losing to Queensland by five wickets and South Australia by 43 runs. Lincoln (2-18 from four overs) and Richings (20 from 29 balls) continued their good form against Queensland, and Perkin found some time in the middle against the hosts, making 32 from 38 deliveries at No.3. The team opened Wednesday with a 30-run loss to New South Wales and suffered an eight-wicket loss to Victoria in the afternoon, with Perkin making 41 from 52 balls in the second contest. Their hopes of jumping into the top four that will play off for a place in Friday’s grand final appear remote ahead of games against the Development Squad and Queensland on Thursday.