IN-FORM North Albury bowler Brandon Purtell will make his representative debut in Sunday's O'Farrell Cup clash against Wagga at Bunton Park.
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Purtell has stormed up the CAW pecking order by taking 22 wickets at 12.5 this season and will have a vital role to play alongside Lavington's Ryan and Nathan Brown, Wodonga's Cameron Suidgeest and Tallangatta's Fraser Ellis.
"He's been in really good form the the ball," coach Daryl Tuffey said.
"I was going to reward him last year, but the game was forfeited.
"He does a really solid job for a guy who flies under the radar a fair bit.
"He's champing at the bit."
Purtell grabbed 6-28 in a recent match against Belvoir and, along with Ash Borella and Greg Daniel, will have the bonus of playing on his home deck at Bunton Park.
CAW have suffered several Twenty20 losses to Wagga in recent seasons, but struck back with a victory in the last O'Farrell Cup challenge last year.
Tuffey said his focus was on rewarding in-form players.
"We've got a cracking team in," he said.
"Players like David Farrell have been making a lot of runs.
"I'd rather play the local blokes in O'Farrell Cup as I think it's important to show off our local talent.
"The boys are looking forward to it as they want to finish the rep season off strongly."
Wagga skipper Joel Robinson said the introduction of a pool system this season hadn't diminished the importance of the competition.
"It's no different for us," he said.
"A game against Albury is a game for the crown I guess.
"We've probably had the wood over them in the T20 format in the last three or four years and previously to there was a couple of really close games in the Country Cup so it's definitely a good rivalry."
Wagga has made three changes to the side which defeated CAW Hume late last year.
Wagga City captain Josh Thompson is set for a return while South Wagga pair Nathan Cooke and Mitch Sykes come into the side as well.
Lachie Skelly and Tom Doig are out due to injury while Ben Willis is 13th man.
Rain is forecast for Sunday and, if the weather intervenes, CAW will hold the cup over winter as it is the higher ranked side.
The match starts at 10.30am.
The teams are: CAW - Ash Borella, Brandon Purtell, Cam Suidgeest, David Farrell, Fraser Ellis, Greg Daniel (c), Jack Craig, Lachie McMillan, Nathan Brown, Ryan Brown, Tom Johnson.
Wagga - Brayden Ambler, Nathan Cooke, Mitchell Sykes, Joel Robinson, Dave Garness, Beck Frostick, James Evans, Josh Thompson, Sam Perry, James Richards, Ethan Perry, Josh Coyte.
