When the selection process began for the 2020 NSW Country Championships, former Goulburn resident Brad Smith believed his chances of earning a place in the ACT Southern Districts team were slim to none.
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Due to COVID-19, the Australian Country Championships had been cancelled, and all of the ACT's best cricketers were now available for next weekend's state carnival southern pool.
Though Smith had been a part of the ACTSD campaigns in 2019 and 2018, he did not expect to compete for selection against a host of semi-professional cricketers.
However, the Goulburn District Cricket Association's knack for producing talent shone through, and Smith was one of two local players selected in the team, alongside Crookwell resident Ollie Anable.
"[I wasn't expecting to be selected] at all actually, we haven't played a lot of cricket so it's hard to gauge form," Smith said.
"It was a pleasant surprise when I got the call from Pipes [Kyle Piper, ACTSD coach] asking if I was available."
Selections were initially expected to be based on the first three rounds of the 2020/21 competition. However, so little play was possible due to rain in the early rounds that form from last season was taken into account.
The stuttered start in the early rounds has left Smith feeling somewhat rusty just a week out from the Country Championships, but he said that last weekend's white ball clashes are an ideal warm up for the tournament.
"I'm still a little bit rusty, I'm not fully in the swing of things," he said.
"We had a tough game against Wests in round three where they got ahead of us in the first innings [and Smith took 0-45 off 8.3 overs].
"[On Sunday] I was happy with how I bowled, and I took 2-28. The body's feeling good."
Both Smith and Anable have been selected as fast bowlers, and the GDCA hopes having two local names in the team sheet will encourage crowds to turn out and support them.
"It's wonderful that they've been able to make such a strong side," GDCA vice president and ACTSD selector Bob Smith said.
"We're very happy with the team actually, and to get a bit of local interest going is good. For them to be picked in that side, it's a credit to them too.
"I can't stress this enough: they weren't picked as token players just because they were from Goulburn. But in saying that, I'm delighted with it. It gives the team a bit of local flavour to add some interest."
The two quicks will not be the only locals involved in the ACTSD's campaign; former captain and Goulburn local Josh Watling has also been named a part of the coaching staff.
"I've been in the coaching system now for about two or three years," Watling said.
"I've been working with Cricket ACT, and I've done a couple of regional academy squads in the juniors in the 15s and 16s age groups.
"I was just asked by Kyle Piper if I was happy to help out in an assistant role and I said that's fine."
Due to the time pressures of his increasing coaching responsibilities and raising a young family, Watling has by and large given up playing cricket this year.
He knows that ACTSD will have a good chance to claim a win in the Southern Pool competition this year, and said the strength of the side lies in the players' cohesiveness and consistent form.
"I expect us to be up there and thereabouts," Watling said.
"There's no Australian Country Championships, so the players will want to try and win this as it's one of the highest levels they'll play at this season.
"Everybody's in form in the Canberra competition, and everyone knows each other. There's guys who have played first grade for a long time now, plus there's a few younger fellas. I give them a strong chance this weekend, just looking at the team on paper."
The NSW Country Championships Southern Pool will play from Friday, November 20, to Sunday, November 22, at Seiffert Oval and Prell Oval in Goulburn.
Four teams will play, against one another over the three days, with the most successful side to play in the NSW Country Championship grand final against the winner of the northern pool.
ACTSD will play Riverina on Friday, Greater Illawarra on Saturday, and Western Zone on Sunday. All three matches will be at Seiffert Oval from 10am.
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