With another year done and dusted, Goldfield Ashes organiser Kerri Forno is pleased with not only the continued growth in popularity of the event, but also the ripple effects of the three-day event throughout the community.
A total 243 teams nominated this year, setting a new record for the Charters Towers event - but it's not without its challenges.
"I'm very happy. It's fantastic that it is this popular, but it gives us a headache trying to accommodate all these teams to allow them to all compete," Ms Forno said.
"What we had to do was reduce the social competition back to a 20/20 competition to allow us to have enough fields to play on.
"We don't release nominations for next year until September. The main thing I would say to anyone interested is to book accommodation first. That is where people will find it quite difficult because teams staying at accommodation venues this year have already booked for next year."
After seven years a New Zealand team joined the event.
The Glenavy Rangers flew to the Gold City to compete, admittedly struggling to adapt to the North Queensland weather.
"They struggled with our heat, and one got taken to the hospital (on Sunday) in an ambulance. But he's okay now. (Where they come from), the top temperature is 15 degrees," Ms Forno said.
"We did have some rain, which didn't really affect any of the games. It just meant that we weren't able to use the main field at York Street. We moved the A-grade matches to the junior cricket (fields).
"The rain varied throughout the town. Some places came to me the next morning (on Sunday) and said they had 25mm in a big downpour. They were standing in an inch-and-a-half on the cricket field.
"Whereas at York Street, we were lucky to have 10mm."
Taking out the A-grade trophy was the Melcheks Cricket Club from Townsville, followed by runners up, the Burnett Bushpigs.
"Everyone had a fun weekend. Nobody was seriously injured and nobody got into too much trouble," Ms Forno said.
"I'm sure businesses had a great weekend with the patronage. A few people I spoke to said the town was buzzing on the Thursday even, with extra people in the town...ready for Friday."
"The Weipa Crocs were unable to make it. They notified us before Christmas...those boys were in that cyclone area. A couple other teams had to pull out due to not having enough players. Not enough numbers.
"Thank you to all...thank you to the teams who travelled from far and wide for supporting the event. I hope they had a great time."
Sitting back with her Goldfield Ashes team, The Black Soil Bandits, Einasleigh ringer Chelsea Mosch was enjoying a couple of cold ones out of the blistering Charters Towers heat last Friday.
The girls, who had returned to the Ashes for their fifth year, had kicked off the cricket bonanza in style on the Thursday night.
While Ms Mosch had lost most of her voice, her humour, enthusiasm, and banter had not suffered - crucial traits of a Goldfield attendee.
Ms Mosch is well accustomed with the Gold City, having attended All Souls St Gabriels for her schooling years.
The Black Soil Bandits banded together over the years, with half of the social grade team made up of ringers and others finding each other through university.
"We've known each other since we were little," she said.
Ms Mosch works at Jardine Station as a ringer.
"We'll be back (to the Ashes again). We've been coming for about five years.
"We're at the bottom of the leader board, but we're number one at the other end."
While she's skilled on the land, her talents also lie in the written word.
"I'll tell you a poem about ringing," she said.
"Ringing; it's the life. Gets you into a bit of strife.
Ms Mosch has seen the effects of extreme weather at home in Einasleigh - battling through droughts, cyclone seasons, a flooding Einasleigh river in 2021 during ex-Tropical Cyclone Imogen.
In 2019, she shared an impassioned call-out on Facebook, offering support for those impacted by severe weather and "thousands and thousands of cattle dying out west" - a testament of the undying resilience and comradeship found throughout North Queensland's rural circles.
"I'm very passionate about this industry and have the biggest heart for these animals. It seems to amaze me the amount of support and help around each and everyone is incredible," she said.
"We can't help everyone but everyone can help someone. From one of the worst droughts to one of the biggest floods on record.
"This is what makes me proud to be in this industry. No matter how hard the situation is everyone is there giving a helping hand.
"(You were) given this life (because you) are strong enough to live it. If only we could send all this rain to farmers still in drought."
