Three of the best players from Cricket Wagga Wagga will take to the field in Cricket Albury-Wodonga this weekend.
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Sam Gainsford and Hamish Starr are set to line up for Wodonga, with their Kooringal Colts club-mate Darcy Irvine joining New City for the provincial double-header.
The trio will all represent Riverina at the NSW Country Championships in Orange next weekend but haven't played yet this season because of the flooding crisis in Wagga.
Colts have the bye in the opening round of the Wagga competition on Saturday so it'll be their only chance to find form ahead of the trip north.
"With the situation in Wagga, these guys aren't playing at all," Riverina coach Trent Ball said.
"They're the best players, they're not just anyone.
"When I look through the competition, every team, even North Albury, there's two or three spots in each team so I don't think they're taking up anyone's spot to be honest.
"There's not much harm in it. If you communicate it well throughout the club, I don't think anyone should be against it."
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Wodonga hosts Tallangatta on Saturday, with New City away to North Albury, before the Phoenix and Bulldogs clash at Urana Road Oval on Sunday.
"I'm all for it," Ball said.
"You're going to have better players in the competition and these guys in Wagga, their competition's put back to December now, they can't even get a hit in.
"When I was talking to Sam and Hamish, they were so keen for Riverina, they were like 'we just want to play' so that's going to be their first game.
"Sam Gainsford is the Riverina captain this year. He's just moved back from Sydney, where he played a lot of first-grade for Manly, in a strong club, so he's a gun.
"He's a left-arm spinner and will probably bat five or six.
"Hamish Starr has been up in Sydney and Canberra and he's been back playing in Wagga the last couple of years.
"There's a bit of a connection there with Jacko (Wodonga captain Bob Jackson) because Kooringal Colts is his old club.
"I believe Darcy Irvine knows (New City coach) Daryl Tuffey.
"He played a couple of games last year for the Sloggers and took a couple of wickets in both. He played Riverina colts as well.
"This is only going to help them, leading into next week.
"Hopefully they go well; I've no doubt they will.
"And who knows?
"For some of the guys, one game might turn into something else so it's always good to make it happen if you can."
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