Sport
24 October, 2025
Barron River eyes top prize
CRICKET Far North (CFN) has kicked off the 2025/26 North Queensland Championships in style, defeating Central North Queensland (Townsville) in both games over the weekend to take an early lead.
Locally, Barron River has made a statement with back-to-back wins against two of last season’s strongest sides.
After a round 1 victory over Rovers, they followed up with a win against Norths in round 2, cementing themselves as genuine premiership contenders.
Cairns Cricket CEO Daniel Freebody said the weekend offered “a great opportunity for a few debutants across the region to step up,” with several juniors getting a taste of first-grade cricket as many rep players were unavailable.
Standout performances included Fred Pittorino of Barron River, who scored 58 not out to help set up his team’s win. Cascades also enjoyed a big weekend, hitting over 200 runs in their win over Atherton, their first 200-plus score in a couple of years.
Looking ahead, this weekend promises a thrilling match of the round, with Norths hosting Mulgrave in a grand final rematch from last year.
Barron River will also host Mareeba, with the Optimus1 Shield up for grabs.
Mr Freebody noted the returning rep players will make this round “an exciting showdown” across the competition.
CFN’s representative teams, open men’s, second XI, and open ladies, are set to travel to Mackay on 1–2 November to compete in the North Queensland Championships, a key pathway for players aiming for Queensland Country selection.
For full fixtures, results and news from Cricket Far North, visit: www.bit.ly/4qqnQ8E
