Sport
28 December, 2023
Hedges Oval to host country’s best talent for under 17 championships
In an exciting development for cricket in Maryborough, Hedges Oval is set to host multiple matches of the Cricket Australia under 17 male national championships, which starts next Thursday. The competition, which is hosted by Ballarat, will see...
In an exciting development for cricket in Maryborough, Hedges Oval is set to host multiple matches of the Cricket Australia under 17 male national championships, which starts next Thursday.
The competition, which is hosted by Ballarat, will see a marquee game between New South Wales Metro and Victoria Metro played at Hedges on Friday, January 5, while a further round-robin game between the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland will be played on Monday, January 8.
The ground will also host a further game during the finals, which will be played on Thursday, January 11.
Colts Phelans’ Gary Wagstaff believes it is a terrific get for the town to host matches of such significance.
“It’s a good coup for the Shire, good for Hedges Oval and good for Colts for catering and supplying the wicket,” he said.
“It’s also a credit to the Shire for getting Hedges into the standard that it is at the moment.”
Wagstaff says a long standing arrangement between Hedges Oval and Ballarat helped secure the games.
“Ballarat got the carnival and rang us to be part of the carnival as they needed 30 wickets to be prepared for the week,” he said.
“Then they emailed and suggested the Ballarat Shire needed all games to be played in Ballarat, and we would be on standby.
“But Clarendon College pulled out for whatever reason, and we’re now hosting three games on the fifth, eighth and 11th.
“The games came about as we hosted over 60s games for at least 10 years, if not more. Last year, we hosted Ballarat for the first time in their over 60s competition, and from that, the Ballarat people knew the standard of the ground and the pitch, and that’s how we got the games.”
Wagstaff believes the standard of wickets in the Maryborough District Cricket Association has helped them gain significant matches, with a jam-packed start to 2024 including Country Week matches on Tuesday.
“We have some great wickets in the MDCA. Hedges is just one of them,” he said.
A lot of work has gone into Hedges Oval over the last 12 months by the Central Goldfields Shire Council to keep it in top shape, according to Wagstaff.
“It’s a credit to Brenton Hull. He re-sowed the ground last year, and top-dressed it with sand this year. He’s put the work in and he’s done a wonderful job, and a big thank you to him for organising his crew through the shire,” he said.