The Western Zone Premier League (WZPL) has been something of a happy hunting ground for Ben Wheeler this season.
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The runs haven't exactly been flowing in the RSL-Whitney Cup on Saturdays but he's proven a reliable figure in the middle order for the Dubbo's representative team.
The left-handed teenager is determined to deliver again this weekend when Dubbo travels to Bathurst to defend its WZPL crown.
"It's been a fairly quiet season but I've been going well in Premier League," he said.
"I'd love some runs on the weekend."
After winning the title last season Dubbo finished this campaign in second spot.
Bathurst secured top spot and hosting rights for the decider after winning its regular season clash with Dubbo, a strong 51-run victory at No. 1 Oval.
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Wheeler was one of the only batsmen to really fire that day but support was hard to come by as he finished 58 not out.
That was one of two half centuries he's made this season and he heads to Bathurst averaging 47 in the WZPL, compared to a disappointing 11 at a local level for Rugby.
"I've been trying to knuckle down a bit more," he said, the other 50 coming against Cowra last time out.
"Earlier in the season I was being a bit too aggressive and getting myself out but I'm trying to work my way into now and be a bit more steady."
Consistency and control will be required on Sunday against a disciplined and well-drilled Bathurst outfit.
The captaincy of Adam Ryan and strong all-round performances have been the hallmark of Bathurst's play and proved the difference in the previous meeting between the two sides.
"The captaincy was very good that day," Wheeler said.
"They had good fields and made it hard to score runs all day and we didn't get there."
Despite that loss, lack of home ground advantage, and Bathurst's imposing form, Wheeler is confident about his side's chances.
After a lean spell that featured the retirement of a number of key players and some disenchantment with the representative scene, captain Mat Skinner has seen an upturn in Dubbo's form in recent seasons.
Wheeler said a lot of it comes down to having fun, with players keen to be a part of the representative set-up.
"We're a young side and I'm pretty confident," he said.
"We're a close team and there's heaps of banter. We all know each other well.
"It just makes you want to turn up each Sunday. There's chat in the field and in the sheds too, everyone gets involved."
Wheeler is part of a young core which will be vital for Dubbo on Sunday.
He's joined in the 12-man team by fellow teenagers Charlie Kempston, Tom Coady, Brock Larance, and Thomas Nelson.
Play starts 10am at the Scots Campus field.
- DUBBO: Mat Skinner (c), Jacob Hill, Charlie Kempston, Tom Coady, Brock Larance, Ben Wheeler, Thomas Nelson, Angus Norton, Steve Skinner, Ben Knaggs, Lee Price, Bailey Edmunds.