The beauty of the Tooheys Cup - Wagga Wagga v Albury
Can you imagine half the Australian Test cricket team playing an exhibition game in the county regions a week before the first Ashes Test? Well, it happened in the 1990s thanks to the magic of the Tooheys Cup!
As a cricket mad kid growing up in Wagga Wagga, there was nothing like the thrill of when the Tooheys Cup rolled into town. The concept saw the full strength NSW Sheffield Shield Team play an exhibition match between two local towns (in my case Wagga vs Albury), with 6 shield players on each side intertwined with 5 of the best local players from each town.
A brilliant concept that gave the bush boys a chance to pit their skills against cricketing royalty and a chance for all country cricket lovers to see their heroes in the flesh. A legitimate match where the lads went hard.
Played in a few of those games in Dubbo and Lismore - they were great fun and provided a highlight for all country cricketers and spectators alike - sorely missed in the bush nowadays
