Bundaberg will be well represented in the Wide Bay Cricket team which will contest the South Queensland Country Under 21 O'Dea Shield in Hervey Bay this weekend, with five players to battle it out, Dylan Heycox, Brendan Grills, Adam Pozzebon, Dustin Collin, and Ben Howard.
They will be joined by Saif Singh, Trent Riddell, Leo Cartwright, Cory Perren, Harry Sippel, Bailey Perren, and Oliver Bembrick, under coach John Howard and Manager Callum Neubecker.
Bundaberg Cricket fixtures will also hopefully resume for the new year at Salter Oval tomorrow after last weekend was again wished out.
In the Rum City Foods Division 1 Premiership, which reverts to one-day matches for the rest of the season, the win-less Brothers face a touch task in their showdown with top of the table Waves.at Salter Oval, starting at 11am, while Norths, who are a mere 0.51 points behind Waves, take on East Bundy Magpies, who will be hungry to get back on track.
Bundaberg also faces a must-win game in their Wide Bay Goodchild Shield title defence when they take on Gympie at Salter Oval this Sunday.
They will again be without South Queensland representative batting gun Brendan Handley but have still named a powerful team.
Their side is: Arden Lankowski, Michael Loader, Blyton Pendergast, Josh Winen, Ryan Norton, Tom Kidd, Hayden Pope, Nathan Van Eekeren (v/c), Sam Pearson, Mitchell Waters, Chris Duff (c), Ben Davey.
SURF LIFE SAVING
The Bundaberg club will be strongly represented at the Surf Life Saving Queensland Wide Bay Capricorn Branch Rescue Championships at Elliott Heads tomorrow, with a team of 13 in the field of 16.
The Official briefing will be at 8.30am, with the Champion Lifesaver Paper Assessment to commence at 9am and the Champion Patrol Paper at 9.30am, followed by Resuscitation judging.
There will also be a First Aid competition.
TOUCH
Online team nominations for the 2022 Bundaberg Touch Cup on 5 and 6 February close next Wednesday, 19 January.
With $20,000 in cash and prizes on offer, the Bundaberg Cup is one of Australia’s richest Touch Football knockouts.
It is open to all – including elite, social, and junior players, and they welcome male, female and mixed teams in U12, U14, U16, and Open divisions from across the state.
The 2022 event will see the inclusion of a Masters division, catering for players over 40 in Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed divisions.
To nominate or for more information, go to https://bundabergcup.qldtouch.com.au/
GOLF
Bundaberg Golf Club will conduct their Australia Day 3 Person Ambrose Event (Stoney Creek Style) on Australia Day, Wednesday 26th January.
Cost is $25 including golf and a cracker of a burger, with a Shot Gun start at 11.30am.
Players can nominate on the sheet in the Pro Shop, and if you are needing a motorised cart, please book with Pro Shop staff.
The club’s time-honoured Burnett Cup, which is Wide Bay Golf’s Premier Event and which is now in its 52nd year with a Player Prize Pool of $7,200, is also coming up fast with the first round on Saturday 29th January.
Nominate at the Bundaberg Golf Club or Bundaberg Pro Shop, with nominations closing on 25th January.
GREYHOUNDS
Easy Eddie pocketed a hefty $4,225 prizemoney for his former multiple champion Bundaberg trainer Ron Brook, now of Takura, with victory in the Country Cup Heat, the feature event at this week’s meeting at Thabeban Park.
Paying $6.50, the athletic dog outgunned his litter brother Little Ripper ($4.40), trained by David Plummer also at Takura and who also part-owns the winner, with favourite Zuleika ($2.60) managing only fifth.
But David’s promising up and comer Jericho had edged out Ron’s Not Allowed earlier on the program in the Bargara Bakery 5th Grade.
Bundaberg trainer Paul Burgess had won two of the first three events on the day, with third starter Velocity Accused in the maiden, and Velocity Justice, which was resuming from a three-month spell in the East End Hotel 5th Grade.
Tiffany Twisted made it two wins and a second from her past three runs for New Moonta trainer Garry Cluse in the Novice Non-Penalty.
Two other District trainers were also among the winners on the afternoon, Lindsay McCarthy with Throw Strikes at his first appearance since 13th September in the Great Northern 5th Grade, and Allen Kelly with Savuro which notched his 21st victory in 55 starts in the Mixed 3rd/4th Grade.
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