Country cricket team rises like a phoenix

A Banana Shire cricket team has enjoyed their most successful season in recent memory

FORTUNES REVERSED: The Taroom/Wandoan Cricket Club has had a breakout season and will feature in the Chinchilla & district seniors finals series.

THE goals set by the Taroom/Wandoan Cricket Club have become far more lofty than in recent seasons where the squad would aim to win one or two games.

Fast forward to today and the squad is equal top of the table in the Chinchilla & district seniors competition with one game left to play before the finals.

Secretary Ian Croft said Taroom and the surrounds used to have a strong team a number of years ago but, up until this year, had suffered some leaner years.

“It’s been a turnaround this year and we aren’t seen as an underdog,” Croft said.

“We’ve used a squad of 20 players this year as opposed to 40 last year and that’s where the strength comes from.

“There’s been some new players move to town and we’ve seen people who played here and there previously become regular fixtures in the squad.”

After beginning the 2019/20 season last October, the side has played through 14 rounds and now on equal top have a guaranteed spot in the finals which kick off on March 7.

The team is made up of players from Taroom, Wandoan and Miles.

Croft said that because only five of the 15 games each season were played in Taroom and the rest in the Chinchilla area, this had put a big strain on player numbers in the past.

But not anymore.

“This year we’ve had a stable squad and have had no trouble fielding a side most weeks,” Croft said.

“Our younger players have gotten older and better and have helped lead our resurgence.

“Mitchell Hay is 13 but he opened the bowling on the weekend and Marty Steel near Miles is 15 and in his fourth season for us.

“Every year our younger guys they get older, stronger and better to make up for us old boys getting older and sh***r.”

With finals beckoning, Croft said the boys would continue to enjoy their cricket and the long bus trips to and from the games as much as they could.

“Some of these farmers when it’s being really hard in this dry weather have really enjoyed playing cricket and enjoyed the social outing,” Croft said.

“It’s a good mixture of people with healthy banter.”

The Taroom/Wandoan Cricket Club will play its last season fixture against Crossroads in Taroom on February 29.

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