While Tamworth are never far off the finals and last won the competition in 2014, this years finals side looks a lot different to the past five years, as players like the freshly 18 year old Fitzgerald leave their mark on the district team.

The City united batsmen burst on to the senior representative scene last year, battering runs for Tamworth Blue, as well as getting the call-up to the first XI as he went on to collect the Representative Player of the Year Award.

After recently completing his HSC Fitzgerald is now facing a global cricketing adventure that will see him leave the district for a stint at Yorkshire starting in April, although after getting the call-up to last years ill-fated Country Cup semi-final side the big hitting right hander has some unfinished business in Australia first.

“I was pretty excited to get picked again and keen to be in this team,” Fitzgerald said.

“It is a great side to be in and I am playing pretty good cricket at the moment so I am confident we can go well in Grafton.” 

If successful on Thursday the boys will stay on and play the winner of Bathurst and Tweed in the grand final on Friday at Ellem Oval, and early reports suggest the wickets might be a batsman’s paradise for the finals, which started on Wednesday with the Country Plate semifinals.

“There are some really good batsmen like Mick Rixon and Tom Groth that I love playing with and learning from in games like this,” Fitzgerald said.

“Tom is a great captain and player – he is always so calm and goes about his cricket in such a good way.” 

“It is a really great team to be a part of.” 

Fitzgerald’s City skipper Brad Smith will open the batting alongside fellow young gun Caleb McNeil, before Rixon, Fitzgerald, Adam Lole, Groth and Troy Osborne complete the top order.

“Hopefully I will be seeing them well and we can score plenty of runs.”

“It’s always good to play with and against some of the best cricketers in the country and hopefully we can push into the final.”