CITY all-rounder Angus McTaggart has played himself into the Newcastle Blasters representative squad for the opening round of the T20 Regional Bash.
Selectors have rewarded the teenager with a spot in the 14-man team travelling to Port Macquarie and taking on the Macquarie Coast Stingers at Oxley Park on Sunday (10am).
"He [McTaggart] showed on the weekend that he deserves to be in the team," Newcastle representative coach Shane Burley said on Monday after naming the side.
"That was a good performance against a strong club. We think he is ready for some higher honours."
McTaggart is one of several players in the overall program, next to Lake Mac Attack duo Joseph Gillard and Jack Hartigan, who Burley mentored previously at NSW Country under-14 carnival the Kookaburra Cup.
"I get quite a buzz out of seeing these guys come through after coaching them in juniors," Burley said.
Defending premiers Lake Mac don't open their campaign until next Sunday (November 1), meeting Central Coast Rush at Scone.
Adrian Chad skippers a new-look side with Toronto teammate Brendon Charlton, Uni's Joe Hart and Charlestown's Rory Maddison among those joining the Attack.
Five players have been moved across to the Blasters - Nathan Hudson, Aidan Cahill, Ryan Van Kemenade, Mitch Lole and Aaron Bills.
Newcastle and Lake Mac, for the first time, don't meet each other in the preliminary stages meaning both outfits could progress to the last four at the SCG.
"It's a great opportunity to get both squads through and potentially go head-to-head at the SCG," Burley said.
Because of coronavirus guidelines, the T20 Regional Bash has reverted to solely knockout fixtures.
Losers are eliminated while winners from round one play a second game later the same day. Back-to-back victories result in qualification for semis.
All squads are required to have two under-21 players.
Also, a second edition of the women's T20 Regional Bash gets underway this weekend with inaugual semi-finalists Newcastle up against the same team that knocked them out of title contention last summer.
The Blasters, once again led by Kirsten Smith and now coached by Tommy Anderson, tackle reigning champions Coffs Coast at Port Macquarie's Wayne Richards Park on Saturday (12:30pm).
Newcastle have several fresh faces, including City teenager Sienna Eve, while Meaghan MacDonald has been ruled out after suffering a broken collarbone while playing a women's Aussie rules decider on Saturday.
BLASTERS: Nick Foster (c), Ben Balcomb, Aaron Wivell, Nathan Hudson, Jacob Montgomery, James King, Mitchell Lole, Jonty Durrheim, Aidan Cahill, Josh Geary, Aaron Bills, Brad Aldous, Angus McTaggart, Ryan Van Kemenade.
ATTACK: Adrian Chad (c), Josh Westwood, Daniel Arms, Marcus Hainsworth, Jed Dickson, Daniel Chillingworth, Joseph Gillard, Jack Hartigan, Isaac Wallace, Brendon Charlton, Dan Bailey, Rory Maddison, Sam Holding, Joe Hart.
WOMEN: Kirsten Smith (c), Kate Handley, Clare Webber, Thea Graham, Maddi McGuigan, Millie Kohl, Cass McLaren, Emma Jayne Howe, Sienna Eve, Kelsey Miller, Ash Stapleton, Sophie Cook, Mia Cook, Lara Robertson.
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