Liam Norwood – Coastal Warriors. Photos: Greg Symes.
The sounds of leather striking against willow will return to the Hopetoun Cricket Ground tomorrow as the second annual Hopetoun Festival of Cricket takes place.
WA Cricket Manager for the Great Southern and Esperance region, Jarrod Hansen explained the Hopetoun Festival of Cricket is an opportunity for the kids of Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe to “experience the opportunities that small regional centres like theirs don’t get the chance to have very often”.
The junior cricket session for children aged ten to 14 years of age, which starts at 10am, is hoping to attract new players, with the aim to get a more established junior program in the region.
“The Woolworths Cricket Blast session commencing at 11am is the start of the Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun programs for the school term, which is free for kids in the region aged between five to ten years of age”. Hansen said.
“This will be a great opportunity for local families to enjoy a morning of fun cricket activities while exposing them to opportunities available in cricket”.
The Hopetoun Festival of Cricket will conclude with an Esperance Cricket Association A-Grade match between Cascade and Coastal Warriors starting at 12.30pm.
The ladder-leading Warriors will enter the contest as heavy favourites, but the Dunnarts will be buoyed by its upset six wicket win against the Warriors last month, the Warriors only loss for this current season.
In last season’s fixture at Hopetoun, the Warriors won a hard fought battle by 22 runs after posting 9-140, Cascade regularly losing wickets to be all out with 50 balls to spare.
The entertaining match was played in front of a large crowd of interested onlookers, reportedly the biggest home and away attendance that both teams had seen for the season.
