It's approaching 12 months between games for Toby Gray and he simply can't wait to get back out in the middle.
That goal was given a timely confidence boost on Monday when the Warners Bay 18-year-old was named by Cricket NSW as one of 11 Basil Sellers Scholars recipients.
The leg-spinning all-rounder is returning from stress fractures in his lower back which kept him sidelined for most of last season when he made the move from Newcastle club Belmont to Sydney side Northern Districts.
"I had stress fractures in my lower back from overuse so I started the season but finished in November, missed nationals [under 19s] and haven't really played since," Gray said.
"[After initially resting] I started getting back into training around January and now I'm pretty well up to full bowling loads which will have me ready for this season.
"It's been too long so I'm definitely looking forward to it."
The Basil Sellers Scholars program kicked off in 2006-07 and has been awarded to 133 young players, featuring 18 that have gone onto represent Australia such as Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy.
Cricket NSW says the scholarship supports players and their families with expenses such as education, travel and the cost of relocation from regional areas as well as being offered a two-year Kookaburra equpment sponsorship.
Gray, in the first year of a surveying degree at the University of Newcastle, is continuing to commute back and forth from home to the state capital.
"It's great to be recognised from those higher up in Cricket NSW," he said.
"Especially commuting down to Sydney. It definitely adds up so this helps out heaps."
Gray attended an early pre-season session with NDs but following recent coronavirus restrictions for community sport he has been training closer to home.
Over the weekend he linked up with the Newcastle Zone Academy, coached by his former first grade captain Mark Littlewood.
Gray hopes to return to Sydney as soon as possible ahead of the 2020-21 season. A date for round one of the NSW Premier competition has yet to be confirmed.
The former ACT-NSW Country under-17 and under-19 representative played four top XI games for NDs in 2019-20, including one wicket and a highest score of 90. He also made three T20 Cup appearances.
"I really enjoyed it. Playing on quality grounds and playing against quality opponents was a good experience," Gray said.
Meanwhile, the NSW Country Championships northern pool has been scheduled for the Central Coast on November 27-29.
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