Inter-city rivals face off again

Toowoomba teams will again battle it out with Ipswich opponents as the Harding-Madsen Shield returns in the upcoming cricket season.

Toowoomba clubs Wests, along with Metropolitan Easts, Highfields, University and Northern Brothers Diggers will take on Ipswich rivals in the fledgling inter-city one-day competition to start the season off from October 7.

“Everybody enjoyed it,” Ipswich and West Moreton Cricket Association president Bruce Raleigh said of last year’s new format between the two centres.

He said the off-season changes with Ipswich’s Eastern Taipans and Swifts merging to form South-East Redbacks had provided some extra challenges drafting a draw.

However, IWMCA senior co-ordinator Eleesa Lewis said the one-day competition draw was prepared and ready to go.

“It’s a full round this year so everyone plays each other once,” she said. “There’s no pools or anything like that.

“I think it will be a lot better.”

The other main change is playing the series under a 50-over format, after last year experimenting with a 45-over concept.

Lewis said the adjustment followed an online survey at the end of last season.

“One of their big things was playing a full 50 overs . . . so we’ve changed that this year,” she said.

“Most of our comments were all positive with what we’ve already been doing.”