Junior cricketers will take centre stage over the next month at a range of tournaments across the state.
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Central North and Northern Inland teams will compete at the carnivals with the first couple kicking off on Monday.
The Under 16 Female Country Championships will be held on Monday and Tuesday at Raymond Terrace.
Eight representative teams from across regional NSW and the ACT will compete for the prestigious Marie Cornish Shield.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Cricket NSW Country Youth Championships will be played from Monday until Thursday.
The event features three age divisions each comprising of two conferences, Sixers and Thunder.
Northern Inland will compete in the Sixers pool.
The Sixers under 13 carnival will take place at Maitland (Dec 20 - 22) with Sixers under 14 and under 15 (Dec 20 - 22) in Grafton and surrounds. The Dubbo Region, which includes Narromine and Wellington, will host the Thunder under 13, 14 and 15 conferences.
"The Cricket NSW Country Youth Championships represent an opportunity for players to begin their journey into elite cricket," NSW pathways manager Nic Bill said.
"It is an exciting opportunity for the next generation to test their skills against the best of the best in their respective age brackets.
"This is the entry point for many of our future stars into our elite pathways."
In total, 48 teams will take part in this year's Cricket NSW Country Youth Championships Carnival across the three locations where each conference comprises of eight representative teams.
Then, in 2022, the Under 16 Male Bradman Cup (4 - 7 January), McDonald's Under 19 Women's Country Championships (5 - 7 January), and the Under 18 Country Colts (10 - 13 January) will be played.
"The next month is set to be an exciting period for emerging elite cricketers from across NSW and the ACT with the staging of four important Country Championships," chair of Country Cricket NSW Paul Marjoribanks said.
"These championships provide an opportunity for the next generation to test their skill against the best of the best in their respective age brackets and push for higher honours.
"The delivery of such events isn't possible without the involvement of many parties, and Country Cricket NSW would like to thank and acknowledge event partners Lake Macquarie City Council, Port Stephens Council, and Bathurst Regional Council for their support and the many officials, umpires and volunteers who will assist with the delivery of these four events."
