Macquarie Valley coach Jon Fuller insists players from rivals sides will have to be in "red-hot form" if they are to earn a Western Zone cap ahead of his rising stars.
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Macquarie Valley completed a dominant showing in this season's inter-council under 16s competition on Sunday, defeating Central West by seven wickets after a convincing 217-run victory over Lachlan a week prior.
Central West and Lachlan meet this coming weekend before the Western Zone side for this season's Bradman Cup is locked in.
"If you're looking on form, we've played both opposition and I think the results speak for themselves," Fuller said.
"Lachlan and Central West have quality players and Western will be a force, it doesn't matter who's picked.
"But if a guy from Lachlan or Central West is selected over a Macquarie Valley player they must be in red-hot form because everyone did what was asked of them (in the two wins) and showed why we're the best council at the moment."
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Fuller said much of his side's success the past two weeks is a credit to the region's representative coaches as well as the help junior and senior clubs in Dubbo have made developing these players.
A number of Macquarie Valley players - headlined by Anthony Atlee and Riley Keen - are regularly playing first grade while others have had a taste of the RSL-Whitney Cup while regularly playing second or third grade.
"They're playing in men's games and I'm comfortable to say they're playing at a men's standard," Fuller added.
The quality of depth and flexibility within the side is what stands out most to Fuller and it showed again on Sunday.
While his side may have piled on 9/263 against Lachlan, an innings highlighted by an unbeaten century for Keen, they were 4/59 at one point so Fuller had challenged the top order to stand up against a Central West side missing star player Blake Kreuzberger through injury.
After another outstanding performance with the ball and in the field resulted in Central West being bowled out for 100, Macquarie Valley reached the target for the loss of just three wickets.
"We improved from the first week," Fuller said.
"Our bowling and fielding set the game up for us. We were pretty dynamic with the ball and, again, I don't think we missed an opportunity in the field.
"Even when the game slowed a bit there an outstanding catch or partnership-breaking runout.
"They (Central West) went from 3/70 to 6/70 in one over and struggled from there and then our batsmen made pretty short work of it."
Jack Strawns (2/15 off four) impressed with the new ball for Macquarie Valley on Sunday while spinner Tyson Deebank (2/14 off 10) and Jack Richardson (2/7 off five) were also key to restricting Central West.
Atlee (30 not out) and Jack Fuller (25) led the way with the bat on Sunday after Keen (108 not out), Fletcher Hyde (43), Richardson (4/12) and Jai Reeves (2/11) had delivered in round one.
"Different players stood up in both games," Fuller said.
"Riley (Keen) and Ant (Atlee) are standouts but it's nice they're just part of the team and not the team.
"They were the best team and they showed it. As a collective they're pretty easy to look after."
The Western Zone under 16s side is expected to be named early next week and it will contest the Bradman Cup in Albury in January.