As disappointed as Dubbo captain Marty Jeffrey was to lose a fourth successive Western Zone Premier League final on Sunday, he could see the bigger picture.
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At the post-match presentation Jeffrey spoke about how Sunday's nail-biting decider - which Bathurst won by 12 runs in the 49th over - was the latest example of the quality and strength of Western Zone cricket.
It's been another summer to savour for fans of the game in this region, with junior and senior players putting their names up in lights.
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From Western Zone juniors winning statewide carnivals to senior players earning national recognition and the Dubbo-Bathurst rivalry hitting new heights, Jeffrey said there was plenty to be proud of.
"I think we've got a lot of good young guys coming through and the strength of that junior system is filtering through to the seniors," the Dubbo captain said.
"I feel a good vibe around all Western Zone cricket at the moment and to see a grand final like that in the Premier League highlights where Western Zone is at."
Western Zone scored a first NSW Country Colts Championships win in roughly 15 years in December while there were promising results at both the Bradman Cup and Kookaburra Cup junior carnivals.
A number of rising stars from the region also played and stood out at the statewide Youth Championships and State Challenge carnivals, which were held at Dubbo, Narromine and Wellington over the Christmas and New Year break.
Female juniors were also involved in a number of high-level representative carnivals, while at the senior level there was a place in the Australian Country Championships team of the carnival for Orange's Western Zone captain and NSW Country representative Kira Churchland.
The Western Zone men just missed out on a place in the NSW Country Championships final for 2022/23 but those performances resulted in Gilgandra's Matt Everett and Nic Broes earning NSW Country selection.
While the Bush Blues battled at the national titles, Broes finished as leading run-scorer for his side and Everett made a half-century in the final match of the carnival.
Western Zone continues to shine at the highest level as well, with Young junior Nathan Lyon maintaining his status as one of the very best Test bowlers in the world while Orange's Phoebe Litchfield made headlines all over the globe earlier this month.
The prodigious teenager scored a half-century in each of her first One-Day International matches for her country, earning praise from the top echelons of the game in the process.
Yeoval's Chris Tremain, Daniel Hughes of Cowra and the currently injured Dubbo bowler Emma Hughes also remain part of their respective NSW state squads and a host of up-and-comers from all over Western are now plying their trade in the Sydney Premier Cricket competition.
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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.
