Some of Queensland's top First Nations cricketers will go head-to-head in Gimuy/Cairns this weekend to make their case for selection in the state's Indigenous side.

Queensland Cricket's State Indigenous Challenge Series returns for its third iteration with a best of three T20 series scheduled for male sides, and an a female Indigenous exhibition name.

North Queensland and South Queensland will compete for intrastate bragging rights, with the tournament also providing Indigenous players with regional representative opportunities ahead of this season's National Indigenous Cricket Championships (NICC).

Queensland claimed the men's NICC shield in a final over thriller over NSW in Mackay earlier this year.

The state's women's side came up short against an inspired and talent-stacked Western Australian after also qualifying for the final.

Queensland Cricket frames the weekend's Challenge as a crucial piece in their high-performance pathway.

"This will be the third year that we have run the State Indigenous Challenge and it is developing a significant position in our Indigenous cricket structure, helping to build a pathway from community and club cricket through to the Queensland teams that compete in the National Indigenous Cricket Championships," the state body's head of strategic initiatives and community cricket, Katisha Webb, said.

"It plays a critical role in the broader Indigenous cricket pathway, offering players of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage the chance to compete at an elite level and hopefully progress toward national representation.

"We are pleased to be able to play the State Indigenous Challenge in Cairns, being a major regional centre with strong and established ties to the Indigenous communities in the area."

Worimi man Brendan Doggett, a former Queensland NICC and state side quick, took five wickets on debut to help Australia take a one-nil lead in the Ashes opener in Perth last weekend.

Performances at NICC level have see Indigenous players earn selection in the Australian Men's and Women's Indigenous XI's, with tours to Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea taking place in recent years.

Former men's state side coach and selector, Michael Mainhardt, previously said the Challenge provides an opportunity for coaches and selectors to assess the state's Indigenous cricket stocks.

"The new competition has given us an opportunity to see a number of new players that weren't known to us, particularly from the northern part of the state," he said last year, via Queensland Cricket.

South Queensland came away winners in 2024.

Matches commence at Cairns' Griffiths Park from 12pm on Saturday. Entry is free.

Saturday 29 November

State Indigenous Challenge T20 Game 1 - 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Female Indigenous Exhibition Game - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

State Indigenous Challenge T20 Game 2 - 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Sunday 30 November

State Indigenous Challenge T20 Game 3 - 9:00am - 12:00pm

Queensland Country North

Jamison Allan, Duncan Head, Jackmann Yasso, Jd Wilkins, Malaki Gabey, Kael Newcombe, Jaecob Prien, Trent Laffin, Zach Campbell, Cruz Baker, Peter Mills, Ramon Mutch - head coach: Brad Stout, assistant coach: Ash White

Queensland Country South

Noah Vojinov, George Fisher, Koby Williams, Joshua Wilson, Phynn Boase, Kodi Gilbert, Trey Darr, Matty Dalton, Nathan Wilson, Josh Beever, Riley Waterton, Luke Rowing - head coach Dylan Blackman, assistant coach: Christina Coulson