The Plan B Regional Bash is back again.
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The Country Cricket NSW Twenty20 tournament has developed into something hugely popular since its inception and our Western Plains Outlaws (formerly Orana) have been of the competition's best.
This weekend their bid for another trip to the Sydney Cricket Ground finals day starts. Playing in the Thunder Pool 1, the Outlaws start with a clash with the Central West Wranglers on Saturday followed by games against the South Coast Crew and Illawarra Flames on Sunday.
The competition will again feature the best of the bush and the matches will be live-streamed so it's a great chance for all of us to take in what will certainly be some great cricket.
On top of the action on the weekend, the Western Outlaws women's side starts its campaign with two matches on Friday.
With so much great cricket ahead, we'll help you out by listing some players (mainly from the Outlaws) you should keep an eye on.
Ben Patterson
Western Plains Outlaws
In the last few weeks we've started to see Ben Patterson play like we know he can.
A genuine all-rounder who can be equally destructive with both bat and ball, Patterson has the kind of big game experience which will be vital for the Outlaws this weekend.
Taking on some marquee names from other regions won't worry him, it could well motivate him, and as someone who is capable of producing something from nothing the short form of the game is really suited to his game.
His pace with the new ball will be key given there's a bit of a lack of depth in the Outlaws' attack while with the bat he could really thrive in the middle order if the powerful middle order gives him a strong platform.
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Blake Dean
Central West Wranglers
Yes, we all want the Outlaws to secure passage to the finals but if Blake Dean gets going we could be in for a treat.
The clash between Western Zone rivals the Wranglers and Outlaws on Saturday promises to be a big one and can set-up the campaign for the victor, and Dean shapes as arguably the key to the result.
There's a lot to like about the Outlaws' squad but former Big Bash League player and powerhouse bat Dean is a marquee man for the Wranglers this season. Playing for the ACT Aces last season, Dean was key to the side's title victory and he was the top run-scorer for the competition while hitting at a strike-rate of 132.
Buckle up if he gets going.
Mitchell Hearn
Illawarra Flames
A Western Zone junior who stands in the way of the Outlaws and Wranglers now.
Mitchell Hearn grew up in Mudgee but is now a key piece of the Illawarra Flame lineup.
The Flame were comfortably beaten by the Outlaws last summer but Hearn top-scored for his side while he also took the lone wicket in a heavy nine-wicket defeat.
A good all-rounder is worth their way in gold in Twenty20 cricket and in Hearn the Flames have a handy one who will be key to their hopes of getting back to the SCG.
Julie Muir
Western Outlaws
Arguably one of the best players in the Plan B Regional Bash across the men's and women's competitions last season.
The former Indigenous NSW captain was brilliant in the Outlaws' win over the Illawarra Flames, taking 5/14 from just 3.5 overs. That's as good as it gets in Twenty20 cricket.
She then performed well in the semi-final loss to the ACT Aces, taking 2/8 from four overs, but it wasn't enough as the Outlaws suffered defeat just short of the decider.
The chance for revenge is there on Friday afternoon, as the Western Outlaws take on the Aces in their round two fixture at Queanbeyan.
Matthew Everett
Western Plains Outlaws
Go back a few short years and Matthew Everett was batting with David Warner for the Randwick first grade side in Sydney.
Fast forward to this weekend and Warner is taking on England in the Ashes while Everett is set to make his Outlaws debut.
A Tamworth junior who performed for Randwick for a number of years, Everett has moved back to the country and lives in the Gilgandra region.
His work commitments and harvest could impact his chances of playing both days this weekend but if he lines up he adds even more to an already loaded Outlaws batting lineup.
Brock Larance
Western Plains Outlaws
Similar to the previously mentioned Patterson, Larance is hugely experienced despite being one of the younger members of the Outlaws lineup.
Another who can change the game with the bat or ball, or in the field, Larance has caught the eye for the Outlaws previously as a young teenager hitting a six into the SCG grandstands.
After a stint in Sydney the hard-hitting batsman and handy off-spinner is back home and doing his thing again for CYMS.
While his batting helped him steal a number of headlines over the years, it's his off-spin that could be the most important this weekend. The Outlaws look a little light on bowling and Larance bowls extremely tight for a spinner and has a happy knack of taking key wickets.
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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.
