The 14-man posse will begin its country week campaign on February 18 against Geelong.

WDCA coach Ray Drew said star players Cameron Williams (Russells Creek), Mark Murphy, Nathan Murphy (Brierly-Christ Church) Alastair Templeton (West Warrnambool) and Ben Boyd (Allansford) were all unavailable.

“Obviously we would have loved to have had those boys playing but rarely do you everyone available,” Drew said.

“Cameron and Mark would be leading the cricketer of the year, Alastair is a club captain, Nathan is in fine form and Ben made the Australian country team so there is a lot of quality there. But we are also looking at the team we have and we are very happy with it. Williams and Perera from Port Fairy didn’t play last year and they are very good players.

“It will be Mitch Clark’s first time in Melbourne with us but he does have experience at country week with Traralgon.

“Young Alex Jennings took 12 wickets for the Western Waves last week so this will be a great experience for him to spend a week in Melbourne around the best country cricket competition in Victoria.” 

The country week squad will play a practice match against Colac on February 3.

The squad is:

Chris Bant, Mitch Clark (Allansford) Jeremy Burgess, Josh Stapleton (Merrivale), Jason Perera, Aaron Williams (Port Fairy), James Elford, Matthew Petherick (Russells Creek), Ben Evans (Wesley-CBC) Jack Sutherland, Ben Threlfall (West Warrnambool) Nick Butters, Alex Jennings, Hank Schlaghecke (Woodford). 

Luke Wines (Woodford) 84, Lachlan Rooke (Brierly-Christ Church) 58, Nick Butters (Woodford) 244, Mark Murphy (Brierly-Christ Church) 111,  James Dalton (Wesley-CBC) 52, Campbell Love (Brierly-Christ Church) 51, Liam Couch (Wesley-CBC) 53, Jason Perera (Port Fairy) 5-43, Chris Cheslin (Dennington) 4-35, Matthew Price (Nestles) 3-26, Matthew Petherick  (Russells Creek) 3-36.

Michael Mahoney (Woolsthorpe) 116,  Phillip Edwards (Mailors Flat) 64, Richard McKellar (Purnim) 64*,  Anthony Martin (Killarney) 52, Tom Wright (Panmure) 47*, Braden Hotker (Grassmere) 63 and 3-30, Steve Blacker (Woolsthorpe) 54*, Christo Rook (Yambuk) 6-44, Tane Quarrell (Wangoom) 6-87, Greg Bull (Purnim) 3-20, Sam Mahony (Panmure) 3-36.

Lucas Rais-Colvin (Camperdown) 46, James Tarbolton (Mortlake) 39*, Steven Fisher (Camperdown) 54, Johnathon Benallack (Cobden) 54,  Tim Place (Pomborneit) 49, Travis Brown (Heytesbury Rebels) 45, Liam Geary (Terang) 4-18 and 41, Lahiru Fernando (Pomborneit) 3-5, Tim Keane (Terang) 3-14, Shane Cronin (Camperdown) 3-16, Bayley Thompson (Heytesbury Rebels) 3-24. 

The scale of the achievement by Woodford captain Nick Butters is still being unearthed. 

Butters’ 244 against Allansford on Saturday is believed to be the biggest division one/A grade score ever recorded in the WDCA.

Local cricket historian Malcolm Kelson has gone through the records and has found that Butters is the fifth batsmen to make a WDCA double hundred. One man, Ken Isles, made two.

Playing for Nestles in the 1949-50 season, Isles made 219 against St Josephs on the Saturday and followed up with 213 three days later against Dennington in a public holiday one-day game.

There was a long gap before Port Fairy’s Danny Kadoui made 202 not out in 193-94. In 2006-07, Brierly-Christ Church batsman Nathan Murphy made 203 against Koroit.

The most recent before Butters was West Warrnambool’s English import Karl Turner, who blazed an unbeaten 200 against Nirranda in 2013-14.   

Simpson’s dominance of the South West Cricket Association division two competition continues.

After seven rounds, Simpson sits unbeaten on top of the ladder.

On Saturday, Simpson took on second-placed Heytesbury Rebels.

While the Rebels are three wins behind Simpson, Saturday’s battle showed not a lot separates the two teams.  

Simpson batted first and made 8-151 from its 40 overs. Bradley Salmon topped scored with an unbeaten 37 while Lyndon Alsop took three wickets.

The Rebels were cruising at 0-75 in their run chase before a steady fall of wickets moved them from favourites to underdogs. Brett Good and David Weel took three wickets each as the Rebels were bowled out in the 39^th over for 150 in a thrilling finish. 

New facilities at the home of Grassmere Cricket Association (GCA) finals have officially been opened.

Federal member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, has carried out the opening of a new verandah at the Purnim Recreation Reserve.

Mr Tehan joined with members of the Purnim Recreation Reserve to celebrate the occasion.

Moyne Shire Council mayor Mick Wolfe and member for South West Coast Roma Britnell were also in attendance.  

Mr Tehan said the verandah was funded under the Stronger Communities Programme. and had extended the use of the facility.

Mr Tehan said the verandah would extend the use of the facility and congratulated the hard work of the Purnim Recreation Reserve Committee.

“The recreation reserve is an important part of the Purnim community,” Mr Tehan said.

“This project will ensure it continues to act as an important social gathering place for the community and its cricket teams.”

The recreation reserve is the home ground of the Grassmere and Purnim cricket clubs.