He spends 15 hours on the road each week to play in the Canberra first-grade competition, but the journey paid off for Queanbeyan century maker Henry Hunt.
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The 17-year-old showed all of his class in a sparkling knock of 148 to lead Queanbeyan to a first-innings victory against defending Douglas Cup champions Wests/UC at Freebody Oval on Saturday.
Hunt resumed on 62 - just one run short of the score that will forever be synonymous with former Australian batsman Phillip Hughes.
Hughes was not out on 63 when he was hit with a bouncer in the Sheffield Shield game at the SCG on Tuesday before he tragically passed away on Thursday.
Canberra cricketers held 63 seconds of silence in honour of Hughes and wore black armbands, while at Freebody Oval there was also the numbers "63" and "408" - Hughes' Test cap - painted on the field.
Hunt lives in the central western NSW town of Grenfell between Cowra and Forbes, travelling more than five hours each weekend to play for Queanbeyan.
He also travels to Canberra for training with the ACT under-19 squad on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
"I thought I would play in Queanbeyan to play at a higher level and to expose myself to coaches and selectors," Hunt said.
"It's probably more than five hours, come to Canberra twice a week for training then come back on the weekends to play.
"I've really enjoyed it so far."
Queanbeyan was expected to struggle this season following the departure of several experienced players.
Those included Adelaide Strikers opener Jono Dean and his brother and last season's captain, Blake, who both joined Weston Creek Molonglo, while ACT Comets all-rounder Vele Dukoski moved to Eastlake.
However, the addition of talented youngsters Ed Barnard from England - who took 3-58 in Wests/UC's first innings of 248 - and Hunt have helped to arrest the slide.
Hunt held Queanbeyan's innings together as it finished on 8-317, with spinner Brendan Duffy the best of Wests/UC's bowlers with 5-93.
At Stirling Oval, unbeaten half-centuries to Cade Brown (63) - who passed 9000 runs in the ACT first-grade competition - and Warren Clunes (59), and 63 from Jono Dean, guided Weston Creek to a four-wicket first-innings win against Tuggeranong.
Weston Creek finished at 6-305 chasing Tuggeranong's 8-302 (dec).
Meanwhile, Eastlake made light work of ANU, captain Michael Spaseski taking 3-25 following on his from 181 with the bat last week in a 169-run win on first innings.
ANU was bowled out for 139 in reply to Eastlake's 9-308 (dec) at Kingston Oval.
North Canberra Gungahlin claimed a first-innings victory against Ginninderra.
