In his first season back in the top grade after a lay-off of sorts, the Bathurst City quick is part of a 14-man squad named for the first round match in Parkes at Woodward Oval, with the squad to be trimmed to 12 tomorrow.

He is not the only big inclusion from his club side, with skipper Matt Willis also set to make a long-awaited return to representative action with the district side.

Cooke and Willis are the major surprises in a group that includes a bulk of the President’s Cup squad from a fortnight ago, with ORC batsman Ben Cummings going out of the side along with Redbacks quick Craig Hanrahan.

Nick Shurmer – a late call-up into the side two weeks ago – retains his spot.

Willis, a regular in representative cricket over the past decade up until a spell last summer, is battling an ac injury that he picked up last Saturday in Redbacks’ defeat of Oxford but hopes to be able to take his place in the side for the match with Parkes.

“I’m not 100 per cent sure at this stage, if I can’t play on Saturday I won’t be able to line up on Sunday. I think district games should be given priority but I just have to wait and see what I can do,” Willis said.

“I did tell Russell [Gardner, skipper] that I would be putting my hand up for SCG Cup this season, I’d really like to see Bathurst do well in that competition.

“I’ve played just about every season since I was 16, but with work most Sundays, plus Saturday cricket, Twenty20 on a Monday as well as training and looking after the under 21s side on a Sunday, that didn’t leave a lot of time.

“Pip [McIntosh, Willis’ employer] has been pretty good to me with all those commitments, so it would have been too much to play for Bathurst last season as well.”

While there was no shortage of batting talent in the squad prior to Willis’ inclusion, he gives the top order an extra dimension and a hard edge that would come in handy against a Parkes side who are still the most dominant in the Lachlan competition and who generally step up for matches against the bigger towns.