Young, gun Orange leg-spinner Gus Cornish will headline Western Zone's Kookaburra Cup side this summer, as they look to improve on last season's winless campaign.
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Cornish was one of Western's youngest stars as they finished last summer's Country Cricket NSW Under-14 Championship in eighth place but that experience will be invaluable at Albury in January.
With that experience under his belt Cornish will be one of Western's more senior players this summer, and he'll head in with wicket-taking form in the lead-up.
Although there's a number of games between now and then, Cornish has already spun his web around a handful of sides this summer. Incredibly, largely in the senior grades too.
While he's played a big role with the ball - and the bat - for his under-14 and 15 outfit, he's taken nine scalps across three games for Orange City's Third Grade outfit so far this season.
That included two four-wicket hauls on the trot against Centrals White and Centrals Wanderers, he snared 4-40 and 4-39 respectively.
Western's side is scattered with players from all over the zone - from Dubbo, Mudgee and Condobolin as examples - and Cornish is Orange's lone rep.
Similarly, Liam Cain is the sole Bathurst player named in the squad and the St Stanislaus College tearaway is stoked to have earned a spot.
"It's a pretty big deal to be selected," he said.
"The area is basically of a majority of NSW, so to be selected is pretty good."
Like Cornish, Cain's been playing the game since he was barely out of nappies and his passion for cricket came from his family.
"I've been playing cricket since I was five, which is nine years ago now," he said.
"I love the passion in cricket, which was handed down from my grandfather, to my dad and then to me. It's a family sport."
The Kookaburra Cup is, of course, an important starting point in the ACT-NSW Country pathway and will be played from January 7-10.
Players will be identified from there to play in the Cricket NSW Under-14 State Challenge, at Dubbo later on in January.
The Western side is coached by Greg Rummans with Brad Broes assistant, and Greg Griffith managing.
Western face Riverina in their opening clash of the tournament on January 7, followed by Central Coast, Central Northern, Illawarra and then Newcastle.
- WESTERN ZONE: Liam Cain (Bathurst), Angus Cornish (Orange), Tyson Deebank (Nyngan), Jack Fuller (Dubbo), Ryan Goodsell (Condobolin), Fletcher Hyde (Dubbo), Riley Keen (Condobolin), Ned McCarney (Mudgee), Cooper Martin (Mudgee), Harry Roscarel (West Wyalong), Ty Sissian (Dubbo), Dugald Shepherd (Dubbo), Kayne Veney (Cowra)
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Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
