Melbourne, Jan 6 (IANS): It will be a capital day for the finest cricketers Tuesday when the 30th Australian Country Cricket Championships (ACCC) gets underway in Canberra.

Hosted by Cricket ACT, Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and the ICC East Asia Pacific (EAP) region, the tournament will be held Jan 7-14.

“In partnership with the Australian Cricketers’ Association, Matthew Elliott, Jimmy Maher, Peter Sleep, Ashley Noffke, Michael Dighton and Brendan Drew will help the players and coaches with their preparation, match tactics and game awareness throughout the championships,” Cricket Australia (CA) executive general manager game and market development Andrew Ingleton said Monday.

The ACCC opens with a series of two-day matches Jan 7-8 followed by one-day and Twenty20 fixtures ending with the Prime Minister’s XI match against England Jan 14 and the naming of the 2014 Australian Country XI.

The tournament, being held in Canberra for the fourth time, has a reputation for unearthing first class and international cricketers. Approximately 45 percent of Australia's cricketing talent hails from the countryside including Sir Donald Bradman, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Peter Siddle.