Mentors boost for Challenge
ENGLAND vice- captain Ben Stokes could face serious punishment, after disturbing footage allegedly captured him belting another man.
Bristol police now may have the evidence they were seeking to charge the under- fire star with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and if that occurs, England’s best and most indispensable player will almost certainly be sensationally axed from the Ashes.
Shocking footage published by The Sun ends with a physically imposing man, alleged to be all- rounder Stokes, landing a clean right- hook and knocking a 27- year- old man to the concrete outside a nightclub in the wee hours of the morning.
The cricket world has been left stunned at the rawness of the vision which appears to show the $ 2.8 million IPL superstar going on a crazed rampage.
Australian great Ian Chappell has declared England “haven’t got a hope in hell” of winning the Ashes without Stokes, underlining the unmitigated crisis that’s descended on under- pressure ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss. NORTH Queensland will be aiming to reassert their authority on Queensland’s regional cricket scene at the annual Bulls Masters Country Challenge.
Starting tonight at Mackay’s Harrup Park, the challenge will pit the NQ Monsoons against Queensland Cricket’s seven other regional zones, including defending champions Far North Fusion and host region Mackay- Whitsunday Nitros.
The teams will play a Twenty20 tournament, with the winning team qualifying for the final of the Bulls Masters Cup to be played as a curtain- raiser to a Big Bash match.
The Monsoons won the last Country Challenge in 2015 but Far North grabbed regional bragging rights last year with a comprehensive grand final victory over Mackay- Whitsunday.
Far North will be in prime position to defend their title, with Babinda product and Bulls legend Jimmy Maher Fusion’s mentor.
“Bulls Masters mentors are assigned to each team for the duration of the tournament, providing their insight from many years playing at first- class level to the up- and- coming group of regional players,” Maher said.
“This is a great concept and the standard of play seems to get better every year.
“It also provides an incentive for more experienced regional cricketers to maintain involvement in the game.”
The eight teams will be split into two pools for the event running until Sunday’s finals, with each team playing three matches today and tomorrow.
Bulls Masters Challenge teams:
Far North Fusion – Jimmy Maher; North Queensland Monsoons – Geoff Foley; MackayWhitsunday Nitros – Mick Polzin; Central Queensland Seamers – Ken Healy; Wide Bay Flames – Adam Dale; Darling Downs Suns – Chris Simpson; Gold Coast Thunder – Gavin Fitness; South East Queensland Lightning – Dirk Tazelaar. acting as the Country