Country squad remains up for grabs

With the Australian Country Cricket Championships to be staged in Canberra in the New Year, the make-up of the Victorian squad remains a mystery with just two players – Bob Wilson and captain Heath Pyke – remaining in contention to return from last year’s squad which finished second behind New South Wales in Bundaberg.

Since the start of the summer, Victoria Country selectors have held sessions in Traralgon, Geelong, Shepparton and the MCG before playing the first of two trial matches at Seymour to trim the current squad to 28.

A final cut will be made following Sunday’s match at the Junction Oval with 13 to travel to the nation’s capital to contest the Championships from January 7 to 14.

“The final squad is still very much up in the air,” Mathers said.

“We’ve had four players from last year’s squad progress to (Bartercard) Premier Cricket, which is pleasing, but there are plenty of spots up for grabs.”

The format of this year’s series in Canberra will see each state play two two-day and one-day matches, as well as a Twenty20.

Victoria is looking to claim its first title at the Championships since prevailing on home soil in 2006-07.

The trial match will commence at the junction Oval from 9.30am.

Victoria Country squad:

James McNeil (Albury Wodonga CA), Haydn Erfurth (Bairnsdale CA), Heath Pyke (Ballarat CA), Linton Jacobs, Travis King and Cameron Taylor (Bendigo CA), Cameron Wheeler (Ferntree Gully DCA), Matt Kennedy, Phil Lang, Brandon Ross and Jake Thorn (Geelong CA), Cameron Clayton and Warren Else (Gisborne CA), Brendan Huff and Carl Joyce (Hamilton CA), Chris Dew, Jackson Fry and Bob Wilson (Mornington Peninsula CA), Luke Carter and Shaun Downie (Murray Valley CA), Brad Scott (Sale Maffra CA), Clinton Baker, Steven Castle and Todd Lamont (South West CA), Lee Stockdale and Robert Webber (Traralgon CA) and Kyle Brook (West Gippsland CA).