A STEP up in representative cricket is among the highlights of the Grassmere Cricket Association (GCA) fixture for 2014/15.
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The GCA released its A grade draw this week, with participation in the Western Waves Festival of Cricket on the agenda.
The weekend of November 8-9 has been kept free of club cricket to allow the GCA to field its best team in the Festival of Cricket Twenty20 event.
GCA media spokesman Jason Elliott said the association was looking forward to the opportunity.
“We have already had talks with some of the best young players about being part of the team for this,” Elliott said.
“Ideally we would love to be able to have the core of our Country Week team also play in the Festival of Cricket.
“It would not only give us a great chance to put our best foot forward at the Festival of Cricket but also lay a good foundation for Country Week.”
While representative cricket is looking strong for the GCA, the A grade fixture points towards another competitive season. All eight teams from last season are back for 2014/15 in what is shaping as an even campaign.
Killarney is the reigning champion after defeating Yambuk in the 2013/14 grand final.
Elliott said while Killarney would be without fast bowler Peter Hickey, the Crabs still looked one of the teams to beat.
“Killarney have held onto their good young players like Daniel Jones and Anthony Martin, so they will up there again,” he said.
“Tim Bryce is back at Panmure after stints at Yambuk and Merrivale, so he will add to already powerful line-up.
“But I think the big mover will be Purnim. They have picked up a good coach in Andrew Bridge and good batsmen in Bernie Harris from Noorat and Richard McKellar from Merrivale.”
At the end of last season B grade premier Woolsthorpe indicated it would look closely at the possibility of moving up to A grade for 2014/15.
Elliott said Woolsthorpe had embarked on a recruiting campaign during the off season but believed it was still a couple of players short to step up.
He said the club would review its position again at the end of the season .