Country Week cricket: Fresh new talent to power Mornington Peninsula’s campaign

They’re young, keen and bursting with talent. A bunch of new names feature in Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association’s Country Week squad of 26.

Frankston YCW’s young paceman Ben Williams has been included in the MPCA Country Week squad. Picture: Valeriu Campan

They’re young, keen and bursting with talent.

A bunch of new names feature in Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association’s Country Week squad of 26.

Frankston YCW’s Josh Edwards, who blasted a century in a T20 match last month, his Stonecats teammate Ben Williams, Tyabb tweaker Lachlan Hose, Balnarring keeper-batter Jackson Hannah and Sorrento all-rounder Luke Kranzbuhler are among the newcomers.

MPCA captain Bobby Wilson says the injection of youth is exciting.

“It’s good to have the younger blokes starting to get interested in it again,” he says.

“I think for a while there the squad sort of picked itself, it was sort of the same blokes over and over.

“We’ve picked blokes from (MPCA) Sub District and we’ve picked younger blokes, like (Sam) Gove last year.

“It opens it up, so people know as long as they put their hands up and they’re in form they might get picked.”

Matt Prosser.

Bryce McGain prepares to ball.

The squad also includes a core group of proven Country Week performers — Wilson, Justin Grant, Rhys Elmi and Matt Prosser.

Ex-Premier paceman Jackson Mockett is also in the squad, as is former Australian Test player, 51-year-old Bryce McGain.

McGain, who has been in fine form for Mornington, taking a seven wicket haul last week, would surely create history if he did play in the Country Week carnival - 32 years after he last played did so.

“We wouldn’t have to do a cap presentation,” Wilson quipped.

“He’d be perfect, he could come on and bowl his 10 (overs) and he might be able to nip 3-30 or something and then he could put his feet up for the rest of the day, be the non-batter or whatever.”

Aiden McKenna.

Harley Peace-Stirling.

The squad also includes former Ferntree Gully spinning all-rounder Jacob Evans.

Hard-hitting opener Aiden McKenna is one of three wicketkeepers, alongside Hannah and Kane Donald.

Rosebud brothers Patrick and Ash Nagel are also in the squad.

Pines gun Harley Peace-Stirling, coming off a century, is in line for selection.

Mornington Peninsula has a rich history of success at Country Week, with more than a dozen titles.

Under Wilson, it won the title in 2018, was runner up in ‘19 and ‘23.

The 2020 carnival was washed out and COVID claimed the 2021-22 tournaments.

Country Week is played in February.

The MPCA squad will train at Jubilee Park, Frankston on Wednesday, December 6, at 5.45pm, and will face Casey Cardinia Cricket Association in a practice match at Frankston on Sunday, December 10.

2023-24 MPCA COUNTRY WEEK SQUAD

Rhys Elmi - Baden Powell

Jackson Hannah - Balnarring

Josh Peet - Boneo

Bobby Wilson - Dromana

Josh Edwards - Frankston YCW

Ben Williams - Frankston YCW

Matt Prosser - Langwarrin

Aiden McKenna - Long Island

Thomas Finn - Main Ridge

Bryce McGain - Mornington

Jackson Mockett - Langwarrin

Cameron Moon - Mornington

Lahiru Opatha - Mt Eliza

Justin Grant - Old Peninsula

Harley Peace-Stirling - Pines

Liam Collett - Rosebud

Kane Donald - Rosebud

Ashley Nagel - Rosebud

Patrick Nagel - Rosebud

Sam Holland-Burch - Tyabb

Lachlan Hose - Tyabb

Jacob Foxwell - Seaford

Andrew Smith - Seaford

Jacob Evans - Somerville

Ryan McNamara - Somerville

Luke Kranzbuhler - Sorrento