Cricket reduced to one dayers

By Tim Howard

The Clarence Valley’s first grade cricketers get a chance of playing one day cricket on Saturday after rain washed out the first day of the first game of 2025.

The shortened format can suit some teams and hamper others, but most interest remains on the clash between South Services/Westlawn and Lawrence at Ulmarra Showground.

Souths Westlawn tops the competition table while Lawrence is in third spot and looking to improve its position.

Lawrence had the best of the corresponding game at the start of the season when we weather enabled Souths/Westlawn to secure a draw despite being well behind in the game.

The shortened format should not affect the barn storming Harwood outfit which has been in devastating form in the first half of the season.

Despite trailing Souths/Westlawn, they have been the form team of the season, boasting century makers in Coby Tabor – with two – and Adrian Turner as well as match-winning legspinner Jacob McMahon, who already has 30 wickets for the season.

Harwood line up against Coutts Crossing at Lower Fisher Turf on Saturday and it is hard to predict anything but another big win for the premiers.

It’s hard to believe that GDSC Easts and Tucabia Copmanhurst are battling each other to get off the bottom of the table at Ellem Oval, Grafton.

Both are fairly recent premiers in the CRCA first grade competition and have a wealth of talent in their playing ranks.

Easts all-round Shannon Connor is one player who has not disappointed this year, but needs more support from the rest of the team.

For Tucabia it’s a matter of getting the best players on the paddock week in, week out.

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