WITH Dubbo splitting their under 16s across two teams this Western Zone season Bathurst coach Greg Innes isn't sure what to expect from their opponents this Sunday.
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But one thing he is certain of is that he's got himself a very handy side on deck for the 2021-22 competition.
Bathurst travels to Victoria Park to play Dubbo White in their round two clash, eager to get going after their first scheduled game against Orange became one of many cricketing victims of the recent wet weather.
The dismal weather is threatening to once again make an appearance over the weekend, with an 80 per cent chance of 10-20mm rain predicted for Dubbo on Sunday.
Innes said there's an element of mystery to this Sunday's trip - not knowing exactly who Dubbo will field - but he has plenty of faith in a young Bathurst team who already have plenty of big game experience.
"I'm pretty confident that we'll get some sort of cricket up there, even if it's a reduced game, because they look after their wickets pretty well up there," he said.
"It's a little bit of an unknown, Dubbo, and they've got two sides this year so we'll just have to wait and see who will be playing in each side before we know anything."
But new recruits and a solid lineup gives Innes a degree of confidence
"It's a strong side," he said.
"We've got a couple of boys from Lithgow, one back from last year and one that's new to the team this year, plus another player from Cowra.
"While it's a strong side it doesn't do anything while it's on paper, you've still got to go out there and do the job. There are a couple of guys in the team who have been involved with the Wranglers so they've managed to have a couple of hit outs.
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"We won't be underdone, that's for sure, but we'll hopefully be able to get together beforehand to sort out their roles and plan a few things out."
Sometimes junior teams might tip the scales towards either a younger or older age squad, but Innes has got himself a fairly good balance.
"They're probably half and half this year," he said.
"That's not too bad, so half of them will be back next year, but the ones who have come up this season will certainly be up for it."
Innes believes the quality of the competition this season will be going for cricket in the region.
"It's normally Bathurst and Orange playing off against one another but now we not only have Dubbo but we also have Lachlan as well. That's like a zone team," he said.
"It's going to be a very strong comp. I wouldn't say that anyone is a standout. Some years there's weaker sides but I don't think that's going to be the case this season so you've got to be on your game every week.
"While we've had a great rivalry with Orange we're also developing a good one with Dubbo because we've played them the last couple of years and had good games."