Young cricketers from across the state will assemble in Tamworth and the Illawarra region ahead of next week's Under 19 NSW Country Championships, key competitions for players aspiring to progress into Cricket NSW pathway programs.
Under 19 Championships to kick off Country Cricket Season
The McDonald's Female Under 19 Country Championships, which has been expanded from four to six teams this year, looms as an exciting chance for the state's most promising regional women's cricketers to compete against quality opposition and connect with peers.
Central Coast, Central Northern, Newcastle, North Coastal, South West and Greater Illawarra/Southern Districts will participate in a series of 50-over and T20 matches from September 26 to 29.
Ava Drury, last season's Country Youth Female Cricketer of the Year, will lead Central Coast at the carnival after recently being inducted into the Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program.
The full fixture list for the McDonald's Female Under 19 Country Championships can be found here.
Elsewhere, the McDonald's Country Colts will be contested at multiple venues across the South Coast, running from September 29 to October 2.
The Country Colts has proven an important pathway for multiple cricketers into the high-performance set-up, including 2023/24 player of the year Jake Scott, who is currently in the NSW Blues squad on a rookie contract.
Former NSW Country Under 19 representatives Blayde Burke (Western), Dan Craig (North Coastal), and Hunter Hall (Riverina) return to the carnival after making their Sydney Premier first-grade debut for their respective clubs last summer.
Basil Sellers scholar Cooper Williams, recently selected for a Cricket Australia rookie camp, will represent North Coastal at the Country Colts, while Darcy White will play for Newcastle following an impressive performance for NSW Country Under 19 in last summer's national championships.
The full fixture list for the McDonald's Country Colts can be found here.
Both competitions are an important opportunity for the state's emerging cricketers to showcase their talent and push for selection in the Under 19 NSW Country teams, which compete at December's National Championships in Brisbane and Adelaide.
The McDonald's Female Under 19 Country Championships and McDonald's Country Colts would not be possible without the ongoing support of local clubs, associations, volunteers and families, whose contribution plays a vital role in developing young cricketers across NSW.
Cricket NSW would also like to thank the Tamworth Council for their support for the women's carnival.