New South Wales and Victoria to contest Commonwealth Bank Under-17 Championship Series final in Perth

New South Wales and Victoria will contest the final of the Commonwealth Bank Under-17 Championship Series at the WACA Ground in Perth beginning today.

Both sides advanced to the two-day final after claiming first innings points from drawn matches against their respective opponents in the semi-finals. New South Wales defeated Western Australia, while Victoria claimed victory over South Australia.

The draw for the finals series is as follows:

Match 17.   New South Wales v Victoria                          WACA Ground
Match 18.   South Australia v Tasmania                          Hillcrest Oval
Match 19.   Western Australia v Queensland                      Burrendah 1
Match 20.   Australian Capital Territory v Northern Territory   Burrendah 2

The final standings for the championship series will be:

1st  Winner of match 17
2nd  Loser of match 17
3rd  Winner of match 18

Strong performances by the players at this year's Commonwealth Bank Under-17 Championship Series could lead to selection in the Australian under-17 development squad.

A squad of 16 players will attend a one-week training camp in April at the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy in Adelaide, participating in an intensive training program under the guidance of Australian Institute of Sport coach Troy Cooley.

The development squad will be announced at the completion of the 2002-03 Commonwealth Bank Under-17 Championship Series on Tuesday 14 January. It will be selected by Cooley and former Australian player Brian Taber.