DUBBO may be a long way from the prestige of an Ashes series in England but that is where Peter Nevill found himself on Thursday as part of the Cricket NSW Country Blitz tour.
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The Australian cricketer was in town, along with fellow NSW player Ben Dwarshuis, after returning home from England, where he experienced the joy of collecting his baggy green but also the pain of losing an Ashes series.
"It was a bit of a rollercoaster in that respect," he said at Dubbo Sports World on Thursday.
"The high of winning at Lords and debuting at Lords and then there was the very low games but to win at The Oval and send Michael Clarke off in a winning fashion was very pleasing.
"It was 3-2 but just in those important moments England took control in those matches and ended up beating us."
Nevill and Dwarshuis were just two of many NSW Blues and Breakers players travelling across the state, visiting schools and community groups as part of Cricket NSW's ongoing plan of increasing participation at a grassroots level.
"It's been fantastic to get around to some schools and great to see some of the kids and obviously this is an important area for cricket NSW," Nevill said.
"Country regions produce a lot of our talent and certainly this area is no different."
The duo were mobbed by fans young and old at Sports World, posing for a number of photos and signing autographs.
After attending coaching clinics at Parkes and Forbes on Wednesday, the Blues pairs were in attendance for the girls' PSSA trials at Dubbo on Thursday morning and Dwarshuis was left visibly impressed by what he saw.
"It's a big effort from Cricket NSW to do the Country Cricket blitz to send players out to these areas," he said.
"It's quite a big area but we've seen a lot of great kids and was great to be in at the girls' PSSA trials this morning."
While many feel Nevill now has a mortgage on the wicketkeeper's job for Australia, the gloveman said it was not a given and admitted he was still working as hard as ever to ensure he had a spot in the squad for the upcoming two-Test tour of Bangladesh.
While Nevill is aiming to cement his spot in the Australian team, Dwarsuis' goal this summer is to build on a breakout season in 2014-15.
After suffering countless injuries as a youngster, the 21-year-old made his debut for the Sydney Sixers last season and impressed with both bat and ball.
"Going into the season I'm just looking to stay on the park and be injury free and get a game for the Blues in the Matador Cup or even the Sheffield Shield and continue with the Sixers and get a few more games there."
While the season is fast approaching for the two stars, the focus on Thursday was purely on the next generation of players and Nevill was delighted to see so many boys and girls out showing their love for the game.
"Cricket is a game for all backgrounds abilities and genders," he said.
"We've just seen the Breakers and Southern Stars do so well and great to see cricket thriving among men and women."