Captain Tom Galvin, Mark Day, Ben Parsons, Ryan Peacock and Luke Powell make up a strong Bathurst representation for the under 19s competition.

Western are looking to build on last year’s encouraging fourth place finish and score themselves a top three result against some challenging opposition.

Coach Matt Tabbernor likes what he sees in his Western ranks.

“We’ve got that good mix of youth and experience in this squad. There’s a few guys in this team who have played high up in Country representative teams … while we've also got guys who are just starting out,” he said.

“It’s a very well-rounded team. The good thing is that we’re not reliant on one or two people to do everything for us.

“I think our middle order has improved a lot this year with players like Tom, Marty [Jeffrey] and Ryan there, plus our fast bowling is very strong as well.”

Of the Bathurst group Day and Parsons will be making their first trip to the competition.

Tabbernor holds a high opinion of the Bathurst group.

“They’ve all played really well and deserve their selection. They’ve been very impressive and have been on the radar for quite some time. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do,” he said.

“With Tom having that experience of 12 months playing in Sydney, that’s not only going to help his game but also the rest of his team.”

Western will play Newcastle, North Coastal and Southern/ACT over Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively.

The Western coach believes his team could take a lot away from a tough opening encounter.

“Newcastle are always tough at the under 19s level, from the sheer population of their competitions. It’s a tough start for us on day one but it’s a good way to start the competition,” Tabbenor said.

“Traditionally Dubbo pitches have been hard and don’t get a lot of bounce but we’ll be going there with it as a bit of an unknown since it’s been so wet. I’ve never seen a bad wicket in Dubbo though.

“Recently Western colts have done well. We finished fourth last year … and traditionally we finish in the top half of the competition, which is a good achievement considering how hard it is for us to get everyone together for any practice together.

NSW Country spots will also be on the line at the competition.

All games start at 9.30am, played on either Lady Cuttler Oval or Victoria Park.