Two Pink Slugs quicks to line up for Bolters in Plan B Regional Bash

Narrabri District Cricket Association first XI opening bowling duo Dylan Smith and Nathan Trindall have been selected into the Northern Inland Bolters squad which will compete in the annual Plan B Regional Bash state T20 tournament later this year.

Northern Inland Cricket announced a 14-man squad on Monday which will be captained by the most capped Australian Country Cricket Champs player, NSW Country legend Tom Groth.

Also included in the side was Gunnedah gun Mitchell Swain who has scored the most runs on Narrabri soil this season after he made 72 at Collins Park in the opening round of the MA Connolly Cup campaign on Sunday, November 7, before he was bowled by his new Bolters teammate Trindall.

When Trindall and his teammates travel to Ballina for the pool matches on Saturday and Sunday, December 4 and 5, the RSL quick will line up for the Bolters for the first time.

For former Western Razorbacks gun Smith, who currently plays for Old Boys in the Tamworth District Cricket Association competition, this will be his second campaign after he was part of the Bolters setup last season.

The Northern Inland Bolters men were required to win both of their knockout pool matches at Scone in November last year to qualify for the next round.

They won the first by nine runs against the Hunter Hitmen and that saw them qualify for a pool final against Lake Mac Attack, which beat Central Coast Rush by four wickets in the other game.

The Bolters were then robbed of a chance to advance to the next round, the preliminary finals at the SCG, after rain forced both pool finalists
off the field before the match was eventually abandoned.

Lake Mac Attack’s run rate in its win against the Rush was superior to the Bolters’ run rate in their morning win over the Hitmen, which meant that the Bolters were forced to wait at least another year to play on the hallowed turf at the SCG.

Lake Mac Attack went on to win its preliminary final against Newcastle Blasters before it was defeated by four wickets in the final against the now-defending champions ACT Aces.

This year, the Bolters have been placed into Sixers Pool One with Coffs Coast Chargers, Macquarie Coast Stingers and Northern Rivers Rock.

The format for the competition will differ this year from last.

Instead of knockout matches in the pool stage, all four teams will play against their three pool opponents once across what has been labelled a ‘super weekend’ in December.

The team which finishes on the most points after the three rounds have been contested will advance to the conference final against the team which ranks first on the Sixers Pool Two ladder out of the Central Coast Rush, Hunter Thoroughbreds, Lake Mac Attack and Newcastle Blasters.

The winner of that conference final will advance to the decider where they will play against the winner of the Thunder conference at the SCG.

Thunder Pool One includes South Coast Crew, Illawarra Flames, Central West Wranglers and Western Plains Outlaw, while Thunder Pool Two is made up of the ACT Aces, the Border Bullets, Wagga Wagga Sloggers and Murrumbidgee Rangers.

Meanwhile, this season will be the first since the 2015-16 campaign that former NDCA first XI skipper Lachie Cameron does not represent the Northern Inland Bolters.

Cameron played 12 matches at five Plan B Regional Bash tournaments for the Bolters but has decided against playing cricket in the 2021-22 season while he focuses on cycling.

The Northern Inland Bolters squad for the 2021-22 Plan B Regional Bash competition is as follows – Tom Groth (c), Hayden Baker, BJ Cameron, Zac Craig, Tom Fitzgerald, Callum Henry, Adam McGuirk, Simon Norvill, Brad Smith, Dylan Smith, Mitchell Swain, Nathan Trindall, Bryan Warren. Reserve – Troy Sands.