WHAT is the best way for a batsman to prepare for one of the biggest challenges of his career? How about facing up to bowlers who send them down at 140 kilometre an hour?
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Bathurst talent Nic Broes will carry with him the confidence of being able to handle that sort of express bowling when he heads to Toowoomba in early January to make his debut at the Australian Country Cricket Championships.
Broes, who this summer is playing his club cricket in Canberra for Western Districts, has been selected in the Australian Capital Territory outfit to attend the annual titles.
It means the all-rounder will square off against some of the nation's best amateur players, but that is something he has already done.
Broes batted against plenty of talented seamers when representing ACT-NSW Country at the recent Cricket Australia Under 19 National Championships, a tournament at which he ranked 10th on the leading scorers' list.
"I think it was good to have that under 19s experience beforehand and now I've had that, I can go into this with a bigger goal to try and score some quick runs and hopefully set up some wins for ACT," Broes said,
"It was definitely eye-opening on a few fronts, there were some quality players there. I think you'll see a lot of them playing shield cricket, obviously some do already, but then go on further to maybe international level.
"The pleasing thing is I've faced those bowlers, blokes like Connor Sully from Queensland who bowls close to 140 kays and hour and Cam McClure from the Vic Country side, he bowls close to 140 as well.
"So getting to face that pace and sort of adapting as well as I did I, I was pretty proud of my efforts on that part."
The Country Championships begin on January 3, with Broes' ACT outfit drawn to play Queensland in the opening round.
On January 26 Broes will face another challenge, but this time when he walks to the crease at the SCG it will involve a touch of familiarity.
Broes will line up for the ACT Aces outfit which has drawn the Central West Wranglers in the semi-final of the Plan B Regional Bash.
Last season when the sides met at the same stage of the competition Broes was part of the Wranglers outfit which fell to the ACT, but this time he will be doing his best to inspire an Aces victory.
Broes, who has already hit an unbeaten 57 for the Aces, said it will be a little different competing against those he previously called team-mates.
"I can't say I've ever played a lot of my old team-mates before as opposition, and with the level of seriousness this game will be, it should be a very different. But I think it will be good fun and I think I'll get plenty of verbal abuse when I'm out there, all in good fun," he said.
"I'm looking forward to playing at the SCG again and hopefully going one better than last year, or two better.
"The ACT boys are all pretty keen, they're a confident side ... so I think we'll just back ourselves and barring no more injuries, we should field a good side."
As for whether or not Broes will offer the Aces any 'insider information' on the Wranglers, he had this to offer.
"I don't know if I've got too much, so I might just pretend I know what I'm saying and give them a couple of tips," he laughed. "I might have a couple of net sessions before I go with them and see if I can pick up anything else."
