Queensland Cricket’s refreshed Player Pathway carnivals continue this weekend with multiple Championship matches to be held across the state.
The U15 Female State Challenge, proudly supported by Ipswich City Council will be the first Championship to see the new ‘Mega Regions’ face off with the six teams formed from the best girls across two traditional Queensland Cricket zones. The teams will head to Ipswich Friday, with a total of 15 matches played across the 3-day carnival.
The first round of Under 13 & Under 14 Championship matches saw six host regions involved for the first time, with numerous outstanding individual performances with the bat and ball. Three regions; Ipswich, Mackay and the Sunshine Coast will play host across 5 different locations for the second & third round of the Under 13 and Under 14 Male State Championships on December 9.
While the 12 zones across Queensland will converge in Brisbane and the Gold Coast for Championship week in mid-December, three pre-champ rounds will be held between local rivals. The sharing of locations allows most players to play Championship matches in front of their home crowds before culminating in five days of competition from December 17 – 21. All Pre-Championship results, statistics and records count towards the overall Championship with the U13 and U14 Zone winners to be presented following Round 10 on December 21.
This Sunday will see BEARS, Brisbane North, Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay teams battle at Caloundra and Maroochydore. Central QLD, North QLD, Mackay-Whitsundays and Far North QLD will play in Mackay at Harrup Park. DDSWQ, Gold Coast, South East QLD and MSW will travel to Ipswich to face off at West Moreton College and Ivor Marsden.
Queensland Cricket provides a commitment to a clear, affordable and accessible pathway for Queensland’s cricketers, with the state body working closely with all zones to stage seven boys and girls age-based State Championships this season. QC and Cricket Australia having invested a substantial amount of funding ($650,000) to ensure costs are kept to a minimum for all involved.
Northern Flames (Far North and North Queensland), Central Infernos (Mackay-Whitsunday and Central QLD), Coastal Burners (Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast), Western Swelter (Darling Downs and Metro South West), City Fever (Brisbane North and BEARS) and Southern Blaze (SEQ and Gold Coast) will all compete next month with the Mega Region teams also featuring in the U13 Female State Championship.
With the country Mega Regions competing against the Metropolitan zones in the U15 Male State Challenge in January on the Sunshine Coast. Finishing the junior cricket season with the U16 Male State Challenge and the U17 Female State Challenge in April later in 2019.
All State Championship matches will be scored live using MyCricket Live Score and can be followed on the MyCricket App by searching for ‘Queensland Cricket State Championships’. Also check out the www.qldcricket.com.au website page for more information.
The player pathway carnivals have received excellent support from several local government bodies.
Support from the Ipswich City Council has allowed U13 and U14 Male pre-championship matches, the U13 Female Challenge and the U15 Female Challenge to be hosted by the city.
The Mackay Regional Council continues to be a strong backer of cricket, with the city hosting U13 and U14 Male pre-championship matches, while another committed supporter of cricket, the Sunshine Coast Council, has ensured U13 and U14 Male pre-championship matches, U15 and U16 Male Challenge and U17 Female Challenge matches will be staged in the region.
Finally the Gold Coast City Council’s support will see the U13 Male State titles hosted in the area.