Northern Rivers name Cricket Victoria Country Cup squads with Cricket Shepparton in the mix

The state governing body’s roster reveals came at an opportune moment for members of the boys’ squad who call Cricket Shepparton home, with the cancellation of all Saturday cricket due to weather allowing them to turn their attention to representative duties.

After all, they’re only a week away from getting started.

Flying the Cricket Shepparton banner in the under-16 boys will be Max Bicknell of Karramomus, Gus Byrne out of Central Park-St Brendan’s, Northerners’ Bayden Hutchins and current Old Student Ben O’Brien.

Meanwhile, Kyabram native Georgia Leonard has earned herself the call-up as the district’s sole representative in the under-15 girls’ team.

Both outfits will take on five other representative sides from across regional Victoria — Western Waves, North East Knights, Central Highlanders, Mallee Murray Suns and Gippsland Pride — in a week of high-octane action in separate hubs.

The girls will be based in and around the Hamilton area for their remaining four games across the non-stop carnival, while the boys will stay in perhaps the slightly more geographically favourable Albury-Wodonga district, the same as last year, for group stage play.

Though Northern Rivers boys coach Greg Lyon advised caution on harbouring expectations of success given the high turnover as players age out annually, he’ll nonetheless look to steer his side to back-to-back country titles.