CUDGEN and Marist Brothers have been the top performing teams during the first half of the Far North Coast LJ Hooker League cricket competition.<\/p>\n
The pair played in the two-day final last season with Brothers taking the win and breaking an 27-year premiership drought.<\/p>\n
Cudgen are looking to take the title back to Tweed having won six premierships in the two-day competition since 2012-13.<\/p>\n
They have played in the final every season since 2014-15 with multiple one-day and Twenty20 titles as well.<\/p>\n
Matches are being played as one-dayers and in the two-day format this season with 10 teams in the competition.<\/p>\n
Far North Coast LJ Hooker League president Phil Melville said the competition is in a healthy place across the region.<\/p>\n
“We’re very happy with how the season has started,” Melville said.<\/p>\n
“Once again, there are some talented players right across the competition<\/p>\n
“Most clubs are in a good position; we probably just need a bit of luck with the weather moving forward.<\/p>\n
“Reg Dalton is a really good facility at Tweed and we’ve had finals at Oakes Oval over the past few seasons.”<\/p>\n
Cudgen is the only unbeaten team in the competition while the top eight teams are all in the mix for semi-finals at this stage.<\/p>\n
Tweed Banora Colts has a strong side while a young Casino team is a chance at making finals for a second straight year.<\/p>\n
Goonellabah Workers Sport won its first premiership as a joint venture club two years ago and will be aiming for a top four finish.<\/p>\n
Teenage wicket-keeper batsmen Joe Parsons is leading the way for Marist Brothers as the highest run-scorer in the competition.<\/p>\n
Cudgen captain Alec Williams is just behind him while Hornets all-rounder Pat Rosser and new recruit John Ainsworth are taking plenty of wickets.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Brothers duo Harry Donelan and Brendan Mitchell have taken more than 30 wickets between them.<\/p>\n
Tintenbar-East Ballina quick Steve Leahy, teammate Will Elphick and Goonellabah’s Ryan Kernaghan are among the hightest wicket takers this season.<\/p>\n
There was another game scheduled for December 21 before the competition resumes with a round of one-dayers on January 4.<\/p>\n
The is scheduled to be played over two days on March 22-23.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CUDGEN and Marist Brothers have been the top performing teams during the first half of the Far North Coast LJ Hooker League cricket competition. The pair played in the two-day final last season with Brothers taking the win and breaking an 27-year premiership drought. Cudgen are looking to take the title back to Tweed having […]<\/p>\n