Four from SW in cricket title defence
FOUR South West cricketers have been named in Western Australia's 13-man playing squad for the Australian Country Cricket Championships in Bendigo next month.
Redbacks Jono Whitney and Ross Knoll, Eaton Beaver Clint Hewson and Tim Hutchison, who now plays for Midland-Guildford in Perth, will all form part of the WA Country side hoping to defend its 2013-14 title.
Rodney Ford and Kendall Ballard (Wheatbelt) have both also made appearances for Bunbury and Districts Cricket Association clubs this season and were also named in the squad.
Knoll, Hutchinson, Hewson and Ford were all part of the WA Country side that claimed its fourth national title in Canberra last season while Whitney is a first time selection after hammering a half-century in a trial match against the CricketWest XI.
WA Country coach Garth Nottle said the squad was aiming to go back-to-back.
"It has been a trend in the past that the year after winning the Championships, WA sides have struggled a bit and we want to avoid that," Nottle said.
"We feel the squad is stronger than last year. The selection trials were very competitive."
