Goonellabah Workers cricket club builds towards fifth straight semi-finals

GOONELLABAH Workers Sports is on the cusp of a fifth straight semi-finals appearance as it eyes another premiership in the Far North Coast LJ Hooker League cricket competition

The joint venture club rejoined the competition in the 2021-22 season and went on to win a premiership the following season.

This season’s 40-over one-day format has produced a tight race to the top four, with surprise results across the 10-team competition.

“I’m not certain that the standard of cricket is getting any better, but every club has some quality players and the competitive side of it has been fantastic,” club president Barry Cooper said.

“In two-day matches, wet weather can be catastrophic, but in this format, it’s basically been a non-issue this season.

“We’ve played three matches against teams at the bottom of the table and only won one of those three.

“We seem to play our best cricket against the top teams, and we’ll need to keep winning to make sure we play finals.”

GWS boasts one of the more balanced lineups in the competition, with Cooper’s sons Ben and Jack anchoring the top order.

They are the younger brothers of Tom Cooper, who played first-class cricket for South Australia, featured in the Big Bash League and represented the Netherlands internationally.

Ben also wore the Netherlands colours in one-day and Twenty20 internationals.

Barry Cooper said the strength of the local competition is boosted by clubs investing in youth development, with more juniors stepping into top-grade cricket.

A long-time supporter of grassroots development, he remains passionate about creating clear pathways for emerging players across the Far North Coast.

“If we can provide stronger competitions for our 15 and 16-year-olds, that will help them when they do make their Coastal League or Hooker League debut,” he said.

“We’ll always lose our top-end juniors when they finish school, but if we can provide a good competition, we can keep players here and give them something to aspire to.”

The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 14.