The last few days have shown some of the very best of Dubbo cricket, while also showing there’s still work to be done in some regards.
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On Friday night current, future, and past players were all delighted as as a local side took on a SCG XI lineup featuring former Australian Test greats Glenn McGrath, Stuart Clark, and Stuart MacGill.
McGrath and his fellow big names, including fellow SCG XI player and former Kangaroos star Andrew Ryan, posed for what have been hundreds of photos and signed countless shirts, caps, autograph books, and many other items.
It seemed nearly everyone involved in Dubbo cricket was either at No. 1 Oval on Friday night and if they weren’t, they were still talking about it during club cricket on Saturday.
But while that was happening, the Dubbo association was scrambling to form a representative side to take part in the weekend’s Plan B Regional Bash Thunder Conference matches at Bathurst.
While some of the RSL-Whitney Cup’s most consistent played at Bathurst, the talent in the side still paled in comparison to squads of recent years. It resulted in the Outlaws losing two games and missing the finals for the very first time.
Jason Ryan was incredibly frustrated as what seemed like player after player turned down the chance to be part of a team which had an opportunity to play at the Sydney Cricket Ground, should it have won through the weekend.
But while currently there seems to still be a number of cricketers in Dubbo who have a small desire to play representative cricket, there’s no doubt many were inspired to play as well as they could on Friday night.
Not just juniors either.
Rugby’s Campbell Rose has a cricket story for life after being hit in the chest by a wayward McGrath full toss while there must only be a handful of people left in the region who Angus Norton hasn’t told about hitting ‘Pigeon’ for a four at No. 1.
Both those players are currently part of Dubbo’s Brewery Shield squad, one made-up of predominantly younger cricketers who are being groomed to become future representative regulars.
There’s no doubt they, and many others, want to play all the cricket they can get and taking part in Friday night will have only strengthened that feeling.
That can only be a good thing for the future of Dubbo representative cricket.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
