There’s country week and state championship campaigns.

For a lucky few, those competitions are a chance to finetune for bigger challenges.

Fletcher Cozens is one such player.

The Koroit and Hawkesdale batsman will go into the Cricket Australia under 15 national championships next month brimming with confidence.

Cozens dominated Horsham Under 15 Country Week, making 274 runs at an average of 91.33 to be named player of the tournament.

He will represent Western Waves in their final Youth Premier League under 16 matches from January 21 before jetting to Brisbane for the national championships in February.

Warrnambool Under 17 Country Week also brought out the best in some of the region’s emerging cricketers last week, with Liam Burgess saving his best until last.

Two Western Waves sides – the under 14 and under 17 female outfits – finished second in the state too.

Another two regional teams – the under 14 and under 16 male squads – will try and follow in their footsteps this week.

It’s also speedway’s time to shine with the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic rolling into Warrnambool for its 47^th edition.

The three-night showcase, which starts on Friday, has attracted a bumper field.

Can Warrnambool produce a winner for a fourth straight year following the success of Jamie Veal, James McFadden and Corey McCullagh.

We’ll have to wait to find out. 

Happy reading,

Justine McCullagh-Beasy