TAMWORTH selectors have named a new-look squad for this year’s Country Cup.
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English imports Adam Mansfield and Jack Beaumont have made the initial squad of 15 along with Boggabri miner Brad Jenkinson, who had his first outing for Bective-East in the Tamworth first grade competition on Saturday.
The 15-man squad, to be captained by NSW Country Cricketer of the Year Tom Groth, will have its first training session this Friday afternoon, selector Adam Jones said.
That training session will be followed by a team meeting at Butch Southwell Cricket House and then a team dinner at the Locomotive Hotel.
While Groth will skipper the side, which will be trimmed to 12 next Monday for Sunday week’s opening Country Cup clash with Toronto in Tamworth, it also contains young guns Will Chesterfield, Angus McNeil, Will Howard, Jack McVey, Matt Everett and James Psarakis.
Jones, Simon Norvill, Michael Rixon, Nick Pearson and Col Smyth add experience to the team.
“We’ve got a really good balance to the team this year,” Jones said.
“It’s just a matter of getting the right 12 now.
“But it’s very exciting.”
He said the addition of the two Englishmen to the squad was a bonus, with Mansfield looking particularly impressive with the bat when notching an unbeaten half century in Sunday’s trial game.
Jenkinson also impressed.
“He’s originally from North Queensland and had a season in Singleton last year,” Jones said.
“He’s out at Boggabri but playing with Bective-East in Tamworth.
“He wanted to test himself and looks good.
“He bowled very well yesterday (trial game) and can bat. He looks like a quality allrounder.”
Jones said the squad would have an intensive fielding session on Friday afternoon before a busy weekend where the six Tamworth clubs play Namoi and New England teams in War Veterans Cup games on Saturday and Sunday.
“We’ll have a look at what the two days of cricket brings and then pick a side (12) next Monday,” Jones said.
“Toronto is going to be a very strong side.
“We have a tough draw this year, with all Newcastle teams on our side of the draw until we get through to the finals on the Central Coast.”
Hamwicks, who beat Tamworth in last year’s Country Cup Final, are also in Tamworth’s side of the draw before they reach the final playoffs.
“It’s a very tough draw,” Jones said.
“It’s great that we are getting very hard cricket though on the way.”