Betts earns call-up for City-Country match

Rookie Norths right-hand bat Duncan Betts has gained a last minute call-up for this weekend's City-Country match at Warwick's Slade Park following the withdrawal of Toowoomba's Brian May due to illness.

May was ruled out with the flu after notifying Bulls coach Bennett King this morning that he would be unable to play in the match tomorrow and Sunday.

The 19-year-old Betts, who was included in the Queensland Academy of Sport squad during the off-season after representing Queensland Colts in 1999-2000, has recently returned from playing League cricket in England.

Betts, an opening bat, will come straight into the Country team rather than reshuffling the two sides, even though he qualifies for City.

A former Queensland Under-19 player, Betts is coming off a remarkable off-season stint with Windsor Cricket Club in England where he scored just over 2000 runs, including seven centuries, for an average of 84.

The majority of players traveled to Warwick today by bus. Andrew Symonds, Jimmy Maher and Wade Seccombe, who have been touring North Queensland with the Suncorp Metway Regional Cricket program, will join them tomorrow morning.

CITY: Andrew Symonds (c), Jerry Cassell, Lee Carseldine, Matthew Goggin, James Hopes, Scott Prestwidge, Dale Turner, Gavin Fitness, Matthew Pascoe, Scott O'Leary, Joe Dawes, Matthew Petrie.

COUNTRY: Jimmy Maher (c), Lachlan Stevens, Martin Love, Duncan Betts, Wade Seccombe, Darren Frakes, Andy Bichel, Brendan Creevey, Ashley Noffke, Lee Wilson, Scott Muller, Matthew Anderson.