2004/05 Australian Country Cricket Championships

The 2004/2005 Australian Country Cricket Championships are being held in January in Lismore, New South Wales. To receive information on the town itself CLICK HERE

Background to the Australian Country Cricket Championships

Cricket is Australia's premier summer sport and leading national team sport.

The contribution of country cricket to the outstanding overall success of the sport, in terms of performance, participation and interest, at all levels in Australia is enormous.

Former Australian Test Captain Mark Taylor was born in the bush in Leeton, New South Wales, and learnt his cricket at Wagga. The 39th Australian Captain follows a long line of country greats into the national team, headed of course by the incomparable Sir Donald Bradman, and Taylor said the contribution of country cricket could not be overstated.

"Country cricket teaches you about the game very quickly because it invariably means that good, young players are competing against more experienced men," Taylor says.
"As you rise through the ranks to international level, you need to learn quickly and country cricketers inevitably are able to do that, because they've always been called upon to adapt.
"Our country players are proud of the history we carry and it's an enormous part of our success."

The annual Australian Country Cricket Championships is the pinnacle of country cricket in Australia.

The Championships is recognised and supported by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), the peak body for the sport of cricket throughout Australia, as an important national event and is a crucial component of the elite pathway to Pura Cup cricket and beyond for many country cricketers in each State.

The Championship is staged in each competing State/Territory on a rotational basis at an approved country venue. Ultimate responsibility for the Championship in regards to approval of host venues, organisation and rules and conditions, lies with the Australian Country Cricket Committee (ACCC).

Each year at the Championship, the Sir Donald Bradman Trophy is awarded to the best batsman and the Bill O'Reilly Trophy is awarded to the best bowler. These awards were developed with the express personal permission of these two gentlemen who readily agreed to attach their names to the Championship's major individual awards.

Times, Venues & Dates

The Australian Country Cricket Championship was established in Beenleigh (Qld) in 1984/85 and has been hosted as follows over the ensuing years.

1985/86 Berri (SA)
1986/87 Dubbo (NSW)
1987/88 Canberra (ACT)
1988/89 Bunbury (WA)
1989/90 Bendigo (VIC)
1990/91 Townsville (QLD)
1991/92 Berri (SA)
1992/93 Newcastle (NSW)
1993/94 Canberra (ACT)
1994/95 Albany (WA)
1995/96 Sale (VIC)
1996/97 Toowoomba (QLD)
1997/98 Mount Gambier (SA)
1998/99 Barooga (NSW)
1999/2000 Canberra (ACT)
2000/2001 Albany (WA)
2001/2002 Warrnambool (VIC)
2002/2003 Bundaberg (QLD)
2003/2004 Mount Gambier (SA)
2004/2005 Lismore (NSW)
2005/2006 Mandurah, (WA)

Forthcoming Championships
2006/2007 Mildura, (VIC)
2007/2008 Queensland

The Championship is competed by teams from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia & a composite team of East Asian / Pacific nations.

The 'Feature Match'

Each year, an Australian Country XI is selected from the Championship to play an International touring team, if possible, or the host State/Territory ING Cup side. This one-day match is played near to or at the conclusion of the Championship. The opponents for these matches have been as follows:

1985/86 India
1986/87 New South Wales
1987/88 Sri Lanka
1988/89 Western Australia
1989/90 Sri Lanka
1990/91 Queensland
1991/92 India
1992/93 West Indies
1993/94 New South Wales
1994/95 Western Australia
1995/96 Victoria
1996/97 West Indies
1997/98 New Zealand
1998/99 Sri Lanka
1999/00 Pakistan

This is a photograph taken at the Feature Match between the Australian Country XI and the West Indies at Toowoomba in January 1997.

First-Class Championship Players

The Australian Country Cricket Championship has been a vital rung on the elite representative ladder to first-class cricket honours for the following players:

MG Bevan (ACT) NSW/Australia (Test & One Day Internationals)
AJ Bichel (QLD) Qld/Australia (Test & ODI)
AM Stuart (NSW) NSW/Australia (ODI)
AJ Daly (NSW) Tas
TJ Dixon (QLD) Qld
PJ Drinnen (QLD) Qld
KJ Geyer (NSW) NSW
EJ Harris (QLD) Qld
MT Haywood (ACT) NSW
P Hutchinson (QLD) SA
BP Inwood (QLD) Qld
MA Polzin (QLD) Qld
JK Pyke (NSW) SA
MW Ridgway (VIC) Tas
JC Scuderi (QLD) SA
MJ Walsh (WA) WA

In addition, many players from the Championship have represented their State at 2nd XI and Colts level and numerous players have progressed to play Metropolitan First Grade cricket.

ACCC Statistics*

Awards

Highest Innings Totals

Leading Run Scorers

Please note: High scores highlighted in purple are classed as "not out".

Highest Individual Scores

Record Wicket Partnerships

Leading Wicket Takers

Most Wickets in a Season

Wicket-Keepers

Fieldsman

This site has been put together by Platypus Sporting Goods, with material & statistics supplied by Australian Country Cricket. Platypus Sporting Goods have been the official ball sponsors of the Australian Country Cricket Championships since 1993.

This page was last updated on March 7, 2006

* Statistics correct up to and including 1999/2000 Tournament