SUPER stoked - that is how Bec Cady described the feeling of being offered a shock invitation to line up for the Western Outlaws in the women's Plan B Regional Bash.
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Cady grew up playing her cricket in Bathurst, but she currently resides in Wollongong. Not only had she not realised she was eligible to play for the Outlaws, but given she sat out last season with injury she did not think she'd be in the frame for selection.
"I didn't realise I still qualified for this stuff, I just got a text out of the blue asking if I wanted to play from Marie. I was like 'Yeah, okay'," she said.
"This is my first season back, I was playing AFL down here and ended up doing my ACL. So this season is my first cricket in over 12 months."
Cady shapes as one of the key members of the Western Outlaws, who will make their debut in the competition this season.
For the last two years the region's representation in the Regional Bash came in the form of the Orana Outlaws. In their inaugural campaign they fell to Illawarra while last season they reached the preliminary final where they were defeated by the ACT Aces.
From the 2021 Orana squad, nine players will line up for the Western Outlaws.
Though Cady has not played Western Zone cricket for a number of years, she is familiar with a number of her Outlaws team-mates. In her junior years she played alongside the likes of Orange's Kira Churchland and Trundle's Pip Taylor.
"It's like all the old Western faithful have come back, Kira Churchland is in it. I was like far out, we've got a stacked team," Cady said.
"It's going to be a big reunion to be honest, it's going to be great. This is my first time in it, so I'm super stoked to be involved. I reckon the cricket is going to be A grade quality."
While Cady, who is vice captain of Penrith in the Sydney Women's Cricket competition, sat out last season due to injury, she has an impressive resume.
She has represented NSW Country and South Australia Country and in 2017 was female player of the tournament for the Australian Country Championship.
Cady dons the gloves in club cricket and is hoping to get the nod as the Outlaws' wicket-keeper.
"Fingers crossed for it, to be honest my three games behind the stumps this season I've felt as good behind the stumps as I have for a long time. I've spent a lot of time in the gym the last 12 months and I've got a bit of muscle on me at the moment, so maybe that's why I don't feel as lethargic behind the stumps," she said.
"So I'm loving the gloves, but with the batting at the moment I need a bit of a confidence booster, hopefully this weekend I'll get the booster I need.
"T20 I like the fastest of it, I like that you've got to be on from ball one, I feel like I don't have to be as conservative. I do say it all the time though, 20 overs is still a long time to bat, the way you look at the game is just different."
The Outlaws are in the Thunder Pool of the draw and play all those pool games Queanbeyan.
They open their campaign on Friday at noon against Illawarra Flames then meet ACT Aces from 3.30pm. On Saturday the final pool against Riverina Bullets starts at 10am.
WESTERN OUTLAWS: Kira Churchland, Sally Moylan, Julie Muir, Alana Ryan, Bec Cady, Emily Aberline, Roxsanne Van Veen, Eliza Bunner, Pip Taylor, Amy Maslin, Belinda Kidd, Caitlin Keen, Amali McNeill, Alex Morley.
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