Ben Livingstone is excitedly preparing, and counting down, to what promises to be the most challenging, and best, experience of the young cricketer's life.
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The Tamworth teenager will next month head to Ballarat to represent his state at the male under-15 national championships.
He had expected to warm up for the event by playing for Central North at the Bradman Cup, but the annual tournament was cancelled on Saturday due to the bushfires.
At the nationals,Livingstone will pad up for the NSW Magenta side, fulfilling a goal he has been striving, and working hard, towards for the better part of 12 months.
"It's been my goal since the start of the year (2019) to make the side," he said.
Finalised after the State Challenge, it was a nervous week-long wait to find out whether his dream had been realised, the batsmen uncertain if he'd done enough.
But finally the news that he had wanted to hear came through, much to his surprise and excitement.
It comes in the midst of a season that by his own assessment has been "pretty good", albeit not as fruitful as he would probably like.
"I feel like I haven't gone as great as I should. I've got a few starts but haven't been able to go on with it," he said.
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Frustratingly he has often been the architect of his own demise, playing shots that he "doesn't need to play" and getting himself out.
Those rash moments aside, he feels like he has been playing quite well.
While that hasn't yet translated into a big score for his City United second grade side (he has twice been dismissed in his 30s), Livingstone has had a really strong representative season.
He was the highest scorer for the Northern Inland under-15s during the NSW Youth Championships with two half-centuries and 165 runs at an average of 41.3, and likewise for his Tamworth Gold side, his two knocks in the Northern Inland competition, yielding 133 runs including an unbeaten 103.
Livingstone captained both sides as he did the Country Sixers at the State Challenge, which he said was "a big honour".
"I enjoyed doing that," he said.
It's something he has found himself doing more of in recent seasons.
"I do quite enjoy it, captaining," he said.
"I like being in the game. I don't like being on the side."
Also an avid soccer player and referee, cricket has come into a sharper focus for Livingstone over the last couple of years. The nationals, which will run from February 20-27, will be his biggest cricketting test, and he can't wait.
"It will be a great experience and opportunity for me," he said.
"I'm really looking forward to it."
