GSCA 2023-24: Broomehill chase third straight title but face strong challenges, including new side Kojonup

Six teams will be vying for premiership success when the 2023-24 Great Southern Cricket Association season starts on Saturday. Powerhouse Broomehill are chasing their third successive flag, while Kojonup are snapping a seven-year league hiatus with their return to the association. GSCA president Jack Batchelor said he expects an even competition with high-quality cricket, especially with the inclusion of Kojonup. “It’s fantastic to have Kojonup come in for the first time in a few years and I think it’s anyone’s game because we will have a far more even competition. They’ve recruited heavily, with the likes of Liam Want from Broomehill, and they’ll be a dark horse. “It will be such an even competition across the board and hard to see who the favourite is.” The GSCA finals will feature a top-four system but with six teams, the last three fixtures of the year will give players an early taste of finals action. “It will work like a round robin finals qualifying fixture,” Batchelor said. “The ladder is split in half and they play among themselves for ladder positions heading into finals. “The top three battle it out for home finals while the bottom three playoff for fourth spot, which is the last finals spot.” After a successful first year, the under-17s competition will continue. “We have the same teams again, Katanning and the All-Stars,” Batchelor said. “Same format as last year, which is a Twenty20 on a Friday night under lights, which is exciting.” There is also an under-13s competition comprising teams from Katanning, Kojonup, Broomehill-Tambellup and Gnowangerup. The GSCA has scheduled a mid-season break after round seven for harvest and New Year before returning for the final seven rounds. There is a two-week break for junior and senior country week in January. The league will once again have two fixtures played on turf in Albany to prepare players for country week in mid-January. Round one will kick off on Saturday with a highly anticipated grand final rematch between Broomehill and Kendenup while new kids on the block Kojonup face Wanderers at Quartermaine Oval. In the other season opener, Tambellup are at home to Australs. GREAT SOUTHERN CRICKET ASSOCIATION 2023-24 FIXTURES Round 1 - Saturday, October 21 Broomehill v Kendenup at Broomehill Tambellup v Australs at Tambellup Wanderers v Kojonup at Quartermaine Oval Round 2 - Saturday, October 28 Kojonup v Broomehill at Kojonup Kendenup v Tambellup at Kendenup Australs, Wanderers - Bye Round 3 - Saturday, November 4 Broomehill v Wanderers at Broomehill Kojonup v Tambellup at Kojonup Kendenup v Australs at Kendenup Round 4 - Saturday, November 11 Australs v Broomehill at Top Oval Tambellup v Wanderers at Tambellup Kendenup v Kojonup at Kendenup Round 5 - Saturday, November 18 Tambellup v Broomehill at Tambellup Australs v Kojonup at Top Oval Wanderers v Kendenup at Quartermaine Oval Round 6 - Saturday, November 25 Kendenup v Broomehill at Kendenup Australs v Tambellup at Top Oval Kojonup v Wanderers at Kojonup Round 7 - Saturday, December 2 Broomehill v Australs at Broomehill Wanderers v Tambellup at Quartermaine Oval Kojonup v Kendenup at Kojonup Saturday, December 9 Wanderers v Australs at Quartermaine Oval Round 8 - Saturday, January 6 Australs v Wanderers at Top Oval Sunday, January 7 Broomehill v Kojonup at Turf North, Albany Tambellup v Kendenup at Turf South, Albany Round 9 - Saturday, January 27 Broomehill v Tambellup at Broomehill Kojonup v Australs at Kojonup Kendenup v Wanderers at Kendenup Round 10 - Saturday, February 3 Wanderers v Broomehill at Quartermaine Oval Tambellup v Kojonup at Tambellup Australs v Kendenup at Top Oval Round 11 - TBC Kojonup - Bye Round 12 - TBC Round 13 - TBC Tambellup - Bye Semifinals - Saturday and Sunday March 9-10 Preliminary Final - Sunday, March 11 Grand Final - Saturday, March 16