Kelly Rowlings looks to shine for ACT Aces in Cricket NSW Regional Bash

One thing she knows is the days she spent watching them play fuelled the fire. She had a burning desire to follow in their footsteps.

Now the 20-year-old Weston Creek Molonglo star has a chance to book her ticket to the SCG as she takes the next step towards her Big Bash dream.

Rowlings will play a key role for the ACT Aces in their first Cricket NSW Regional Bash match against the Border Bullets at Phillip Oval on Sunday.

This season marks the first edition of the women's Regional Bash, which coincides with the fifth installment of the men's representative tournament.

The winner of Sunday's clash will advance to a semi-final date with the Illawarra Flames at the SCG on January 21, with the final to be played that evening.

The women's clash headlines a huge day of action in the capital on Sunday with the Aces men bracing for a double-header against the Border Bullets and Murrumbidgee Rangers at Phillip Oval and Stirling Oval respectively.

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So while the likes of Ginninderra Tigers skipper Rhys Healy will look to make the most of another opportunity to impress, Rowlings is determined to shine in the women's first shot.

With a chance to play at the SCG on the line, why wouldn't she?

"Obviously that's our goal. I'd probably be thinking about all the people who have batted and bowled on that field in the past and who are currently playing there," Rowlings said.

"All the things that have happened on that ground, there are so many big games and big names you can think of, I'd imagine it would get the blood pumping.

"Big Bash could even come from this competition, I'm sure there will be people watching the Regional Bash, especially the finals at the SCG. Hopefully the right people are watching, that's the goal.

"Obviously we've got the pathway to 50-over cricket with the Meteors squad, and being around that has been good.

"But there is not a lot of Twenty20 cricket for women in Canberra, so we're having to travel to Sydney mostly to play that.

"It's really good to get the Twenty20 format of the game into Canberra and give our local girls a bit more of a chance to show what they've got."

Healy will cap off a whirlwind week in which he made his ACT/NSW Country Comets debut when he suits up for the Aces on Sunday.

But first he will return for Ginniderra for a Gallop Cup clash with Western District at Kippax Oval on Saturday having made his return from injury in the Second XI clash.

"The Aces is a whole new kettle of fish. We've gone from four-day cricket to Twenty20," Healy said.

"If we played to our potential, we probably should have won last year, and we've got a stronger squad this time around.

"[The Comets debut] was awesome. It was really great to experience not just the professionalism but the quality of players at that level and test myself and see where I'm at and where our region is at as well.

"It's really exciting. There's some really quality players in that side getting around, so it's really good to be involved.

"I learnt a lot as well, being able to lean on a few of the experienced guys and the coaching staff as well was really good."

CRICKET NSW REGIONAL BASH

Men's: ACT Aces v Border Bullets at Phillip Oval, 9.30am; ACT Aces v Murrumbidgee Rangers at Stirling Oval, 1.30pm.

Women's: ACT Aces v Border Bullets at Phillip Oval, 1.30pm.

Men's ACT Aces squad: Matt Condon, Robbie Trickett, Ethan Bartlett, Rhys Healy, Nic Broes, Josh Staines, Scott Murn, Tom Vane Tempest, Tyler Van Luin, Ollie Anable, Angus Tarpey, Brendan Duffy, Jordie Misic.

Women's ACT Aces squad: Caitlin Galeano, Kelly Rowlings, Mikaylah John, Monica Gair, Victoria King, Amy Jason-Jones, Clare Levings, Jade Allen, Georgia Bye, Julia Bassett, Isabella Grieg, Janet King, Jessie Mudaliar, Liz Coper-Jones, Cherie Taylor.

CRICKET ACT GALLOP CUP ROUND FIVE

Saturday: Tuggeranong Valley v Weston Creek Molonglo at Chisholm Oval; Queanbeyan v Eastlake at Freebody Oval; Ginninderra v Western District at Kippax Oval; North Canberra-Gungahlin v ANU at Keith Tournier Memorial Oval. All games at 11am.