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ALTHOUGH you could be forgiven for thinking it, the Central West Wranglers won't be contesting the 2015-16 boot-scooting or calf-roping championships - they'll be playing in the now confirmed Plan B Regional Bash this summer.
Almost a month after the Central Western Daily originally broke the news of a potential Twenty20 competition replacing the now defunct SCG Country Cup, the Regional Bash has been confirmed, with a start date and fixtures list released - including a gala day at the SCG to conclude the tournament.
The knockout tournament will be played out over seven weeks, with 16 sides contesting across two conferences, the northern Sixers Conference and southern Thunder Conference.
The Wranglers selectors will pick a 15-man squad from the designated catchment area - Orange, Bathurst, Young, Lithgow, Mudgee, Gulgong and Blue Mountains - to contest the 16-team, seven-week knockout competition.
Western Zone has been split into the Wranglers' catchment area and the Orana Outlaws' zone, which surprisingly includes Parkes and Forbes - essentially giving the latter access to the entire 2014-15 NSW Country Championship winning Western side.
The two sides will play off on Sunday, October 25 in the opening round of the championship at Orange's Wade Park, before meeting one of the other teams in the Thunder Zone - ACT Aces, Border Bullets, Murray Valley Vipers, Murrumbidgee Rangers, South Coast Crew and Wagga Wagga Sloggers - in the next round.
"When I heard the news a while ago I really didn't know what to expect from this competition," Orange's new captain-coach Dave Boundy said.
"But it certainly provides a good opportunity for a lot of players in Orange, and the region, particularly with Mudgee and Parkes not being included in our zone.
"Orana will be strong with that [catchment] area, but who knows, they might not be as strong a Twenty20 side as they are normally, even if it is basically the Western side."
Boundy said one of the biggest benefits of the competition is providing opportunities at a representative level for players who may not normally play in the traditional Western Zone Premier League competition.
The competition also boasts several different rule variations in terms of squad selection - teams are allowed one marquee player originally from the region who may have gone on to higher honours, three Kingsgrove Cup (Sydney Grade Cricket T20) players, and must have four under 21 players in the squad, with at least two playing each game.
The Sixers Zone includes the Newcastle Blasters, Central Coast Rush, Coffs Coast Chargers, Hunter Hitmen, Illawarra Flames, Macquarie Coast Stingers, Northern Inland Bolters and Northern Rivers Rock.
