The Nightwatchmen: Our Western Zone squad predictions

The pair will look at everything that's happening from the local game through to international matches during the 2023/24 season.

After a massive opening round of the Western Zone Premier League, all eyes will be on the players this weekend as rep round is held.

All four representative sides will be in action on Saturday and Sunday, with the Western Zone selectors popping up at each match to have a look at the potential players for next month's NSW Country Championships.

Set to be held in Orange once again, the Country Champs will hopefully feature a strong Western squad with this weekend the last chance budding players have to show their stuff.

For a bit of fun, we thought we'd select our 12-man Western Zone squad.

There are a few obvious selections here right off the bat (pun not intended).

Matt Everett, Marty Jeffrey and Ben Wheeler all pick themselves.

Everett is the reigning NSW Country Player of the Year and scored the most runs ever at a Country Championships last season. He will also take the wicket-keeping duties in this side.

While he opens the batting for his club and Dubbo, Wheeler has found himself down the order for Western in recent seasons but I think this year he has to open the batting.

Capable of putting the bowlers under pressure immediately, he is too good to deny.

Jeffrey captained the side last year and did a good job, even scoring a century in their last game of the carnival. Lock him in as well.

Bathurst-native Nic Broes hasn't yet signalled his intentions for this representative season but after a Second XI berth last year, we've ruled him out (watch him now get selected).

The other two batting spots in the squad go to a pair of Bathurst veterans, Adam Ryan and Ryan Peacock.

Ryan hit a century in the opening match of the competition to put his name up in lights and as I understand it, he is capable of keeping as well.

Peacock has been there before but has yet to play a game this season, but I can still see him getting picked.

Honourable mentions: Dubbo batter Thomas Nelson could be right in this conversation with a big weekend as too could Ted Murray.

Bathurst's Bailey Brien is in a similar boat to the Dubbo pair above and was around the squad last season.

As I have previously mentioned, there are a few easy selections here.

You can lock in Connor Slattery and Ben Knaggs.

Slattery's left arm spin will be likely the only slower bowling option we pick here with Jeffrey also capable of rolling the arm over.

Batting in the middle order and bowling handy overs, expect Slattery to feature again.

Close to the best all-rounder in the area for many, everyone knows how much we love Knaggs.

Lachlan Strachan made his Western debut last season and would be unlucky to miss out this time round, but he won't play this weekend at all.

Honourable mentions: Parkes' Myles Smith has represented Western before and would do a job if picked, I wouldn't be surprised if his name was around the conversation.

READ ALSO:

We've got our first smokey for this side in this category but before we get to him, let's have a look at the highly likely players to get picked.

Current Western quick Bailey Edmunds took five wickets last weekend against Parkes so lock him in while Parkes' Brent Tucker and Orange's Ed Morrish are the next best quicks.

Both Tucker and Morrish are left-armers too which adds an extra bit of strike for the zone.

Speaking of left-armers, I think Bathurst's Matt Holmes won't be too far away from earning a call-up for this year's squad.

Holmes arrived in Bathurst last season with big expectations and has become a mainstay of their representative side since.

Still only very young, Holmes could be someone who features over the next few years in Western colours and I think they may give him a crack this year.

Honourable mentions: Jacob Ryan has a knack for taking wickets for Bathurst but we think he might still be a few years off getting a call-up.

Parkes' Blake Smith could be another direction the selectors may look to go in.

The Daily Liberal's possible 12-man Western Zone squad

Marty Jeffrey (captain)

Matt Everett

Ben Wheeler

Adam Ryan

Ryan Peacock

Connor Slattery

Ben Knaggs

Lachlan Strachan

Brent Tucker

Bailey Edmunds

Ed Morrish

Matt Holmes

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.