Competition signals new era for Wide Bay cricket

Cricket returned to the Fraser Coast with the first round of the Rum City Foods Intra Cup held in Maryborough on Saturday.

Rum City Foods Intra Cup - Maryborough United (batting) v Hervey Bay Royals (fielding) - Marty Maloney. Picture: Cody Fox

CRICKET: Cricket returned to the Fraser Coast with the first round of the Rum City Foods Intra Cup held in Maryborough on Saturday.

The newly formed teams of the Hervey Bay Royals and Maryborough United battled for early bragging rights in the competition.

Hervey Bay Royals manager Troy Ignatenko was pleased to involved in the competition.

"It is good to be out playing cricket,” he said.

Ignatenko believes the competition will benefit cricket on the Fraser Coast.

"It is a good concept and it is a better standard of competition than what we have been playing,” he said.

Both teams only formed three weeks ago and are still working through having everything in place for the season.

Maryborough United were first to bat, finishing at 7/239 after 45 overs.

Martin Maloney top scored for the home side with an unbeaten 82.

The Royals chased down the total in 42 overs.

A solid partnership between John Kosmidis and Nicholas Kelsey set up the victory.

The first wicket falling with 70 runs on the board after Kelsey was run out.

"It set the match up for us,” Ignatenko said.

The competition will break for a week as the Bulls Masters Country Challenge is held in Bundaberg.

The Royals will host Norths in round two at Allan Embrey Oval with the match to commence at 11am.

While Maryborough United travel to Bundaberg to play Brothers at Salter Oval.

Brothers will be wanting to build on their first round win, after easily accounting for Past Highs with a 189 run victory.