Cricket ACT's premier competition looks set to become a breeding ground for emerging talent as a host of stars make their way north in search of higher honours.
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Four of the ACT's brightest prospects in recent memory will be missing when Western District-UC meet North Canberra-Gungahlin in the Cricket ACT Gallop Cup at Harrison Oval on Saturday.
Prime Minister's XI 12th man Tom Engelbrecht is part of a wave of Wests products hunting higher honours in Sydney alongside former Sydney Thunder regional rookie Blake Macdonald and Matt Gilkes, while ex-Norths star Ben Taylor is also making the weekly trek up the highway.
The quartet aren't the only Canberrans lugging their kits to Sydney, however they aren't entirely lost to the capital having played for the ACT/NSW Country Comets this season.
Engelbrecht and Macdonald have played at St George, Gilkes has been churning out runs for the University of NSW, while Taylor has linked up with Bankstown.
"They’re a loss to us when they go to Sydney grade cricket because it weakens our first grade team, but we see it as part of our pathway that ACT cricket offers to those higher levels of representation," Wests president James Harrison said.
"Obviously they’re still playing for the Comets so they’ve still got links with Canberra. It’s great to see those guys doing well.
"We’re starting to see the fruits of strong ties with our junior club this year. We’ve had under 14s and under 13s boys make their senior debut. One of our junior girls is debuting for women’s team this Saturday.
"They’re our future first graders and our future Blake Macdonald’s, Matt Gilkes’ and Nathan Lyon’s down the track.
"We’re really pleased with that partnership, the work we’re doing with the junior club and the work the junior club is doing in that space as well. It’s starting to pay dividends."
Wests-UC are putting the call out to some 960 players who have worn the maroon cap in the hope they can relive the glory days at the club's 50th anniversary gala dinner on February 2.
The timing means Australia's greatest off-spinner could be on hand with Nathan Lyon and the national side in town to meet Sri Lanka at Manuka Oval from February 1.
"We’re hoping so, even if it’s just a half hour appearance we would be rapt if Nathan is there," Harrison said.
"We’re really hopeful he can put in an appearance and have a bit of a chat. That was in the back of our minds when we chose that date, that he would be in town. We’re hopeful he’s available so fingers crossed on that one."
The club has had a presence in the ACT's grade cricket scene since the 1969-70 season with a host of Lions going on to receive higher honours.
Lyon is one of the club's greatest exports while former Australian women's representatives Kris Britt and Glenda Hall are products of the Wests factory.
Retired batsman Ryan Carters had stints at NSW and Victoria to headline a handful of Wests graduates to have played domestic cricket alongside James Pyke (South Australia), Mark Hatton (Tasmania), and Ben Oakley (Adelaide Strikers).
That group will be firmly in the mix with the club set to unveil the best team of the first 25 years, best team of the second 25 years, and the best women's XI.
*Anyone interested in attending Western District-UC's 50th anniversary dinner can register their interest by emailing wduccc50th@gmail.com
CRICKET ACT GALLOP CUP ROUND 5
Saturday: Ginninderra v Weston Creek Molonglo at Kippax Oval, ANU v Tuggeranong Valley at ANU North Oval, North Canberra-Gungahlin v Western District-UC at Harrison Oval, Queanbeyan v Eastlake at Freebody Oval. Matches start at 11am.
