Erin Osborne knows what it takes to reach the very top of the game so when she is excited by the potential of a junior cricketer it's worth taking a note of the name.
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Australian representative and Women's Big Bash League champion Osborne was in Dubbo the past few days as coach of the ACT/Southern District Barons under 15s side at the NSW Youth Championships Thunder Pool carnival.
She helped the side finish as winners of the division but one of the main factors in the Barons's success was the performances of Raakin Rahman.
The talented all-rounder took the most wickets across the seven rounds with 15 while he was also among the championships' top five run scorers and averaged more than 80 for the Barons.
He showed his quality in Monday morning's Twenty20 win over Western Plains, taking 3/14 from four overs to help knock over the hosts for 90 at Lady Cutler 3 before controlling the run chase from the middle order and finishing 35 not out from 29 balls.
"I think we've got some really talented players here and Raakin, who hit the winning runs, is an incredible cricketer and his game sense is amazing at this stage," Osborne said.
"He just reads the game really well but he takes his teammates alongside him. Whenever he's around he just seems to get the team to lift and it's really exciting.
"We've had a great carnival."
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Monday morning's round of matches proved to be the last of the carnival as the afternoon's scheduled Twenty20s were washed out.
The Western Plains under 15s, a side featuring a number of Dubbo juniors, finished the championships with just one win but there was plenty of positive signs across the four days of play.
Even against the Barons at Lady Cutler 3 there was plenty of fight shown in the field despite the total they were defending being a low one.
Tyson Deebank bowled well and claimed 2/16 with his leg-spinners but Raahman proved the difference and kept the Western Plains attack at bay.
The Barons won the match by five wickets with more than three overs to spare.
Koda Sissian, a current Western Zone colts representative, assisted Western Plains under 15s coach Jon Fuller during the Dubbo carnival and was proud of the determination shown by his side.
"We've been a bit up and down," Sissian said of the results.
"They didn't give up and kept fighting to the end but we just couldn't get the result we wanted.
"But I've enjoyed it and it's a good environment around here and the boys have all been up and wanted to do the best they can."
Osborne, who now plays her T20 cricket for the Melbourne Stars after helping the Sydney Thunder claim the first WBBL title, was assisted in Dubbo by ACT representative Zoe Cooke and the championships marked the first time either had worked with a juniors boys' side.
"We're really enjoying it," Osborne said.
"The boys are really responsive and everything we've asked of them they've done and we're seeing some really good improvements so we're really enjoying the coaching."
Central West, drawing in players from the Bathurst and Orange regions, finished top in the championships' under 14s Thunder Pool division while the Illawarra Highlanders won the under 13s.
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.
