After a winless campaign with individual highlights few and far between Western Zone were snubbed in terms of higher honours, with this summer's Bush Blues side headlined by title-winning Newcastle stars.
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The Novocastrians completed their undefeated McDonald's Country Cricket NSW Championship campaign with a six-wicket smashing of Illawarra in last weekend's decider, earning four Bush Blues caps as a result.
Nick Foster will skipper the side while Josh Geary also returns to the outfit, with Andrew Somerville and Aaron Wivell both earning their maiden nods this summer.
I hadn't totally given up hope... but I did think I was a long shot.
- Bush Blues skipper Nick Foster
Illawarra's Adam Berwick and Kerrod White, Riverina's Ryan Brown, North Coastal's Caelan Maladay and Central Northern's Michael Rixon will also make their debuts at the Australian Country Cricket Championships at Toowoomba in January.
Foster's selection as skipper marks the completion of a remarkable turnaround, he was left out of last year's side and as recently as a month ago wasn't even leading Newcastle.
"You always want to play at the highest level you can and I hadn't totally given up hope [about playing NSW Country again], but I did think I was a long shot," Foster told the Newcastle Herald.
"And a month ago I wasn't even captain of Newcastle.
"It's been a bit of a turn around and I'm really looking forward to it.
"I'm pretty humbled by the opportunity."
He'll make his sixth appearance at the national championships, he was a part of the winning Bush Blues side two summers ago.
Considering the side's winless campaign there wasn't much hope of many Western players earning a nod, although Orange's James Larkin and Parkes' Myles Smith did give themselves a chance.
Larkin averaged more than 60 across the Southern Pool carnival with a top score of 92 not out, while Smith blasted 90 on the final day as well, but they were left out.
- NSW COUNTRY BUSH BLUES: Nick Foster (Newcastle - captain), Chris Archer (Central Coast), Alec Baldwin (North Coastal), Adam Berwick (Illawarra), Scott Burkinshaw (Central Coast), Ryan Brown (Riverina), Josh Geary (Newcastle), Tom Groth (Central Northern), Caelan Maladay (North Coastal), Michael Rixon (Central Northern), Andrew Somerville (Newcastle), Kerrod White (Illawarra), Aaron Wivell ( Newcastle), Caleb Ziebell (North Coastal)
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