Harry Bayliss hoping to cap first season at CYMS with RSL Whitney Cup grand final win

The match has been billed as a battle between CYMS' elite bowling attack against RSL Colts' star-studded batting lineup.

But as someone who has been a key part of the CYMS batting unit this season, Bayliss is backing his own side to stand up when it matters.

"We've got a very strong battling lineup and I'm looking forward to contributing," he said.

"It's a bit of an underdog story, really. Bowlers do all the work and we've just come in at the end."

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CYMS' bowlers have been dominant this season and Bailey Edmunds, Paddy Nelson, captain Ben Knaggs and Matt Purse are among the top six wicket-takers in the competition.

In terms of batting, Thomas Nelson is fourth overall in first grade with 528 runs at 48 while Bayliss is the only other CYMS player in the top 10 with 410 runs at 34.

Bayliss has also proved a more than handy spin option alongside Paddy Nelson and has 20 wickets to his name.

It's been an impressive first full season in Dubbo cricket, with Bayliss having previously played in his hometown of Parkes.

His performances - highlighted by a century against Rugby - resulted in him being named Dubbo District Cricket Association's Rookie of the Year but he's still hungry for more improvement.

"I've loved it. It's a good competition here and a good bunch of blokes of CYMS," he said of his season.

"I'm lacking a few runs. I would have liked a few more but it's been alright."

Bayliss has felt the standard of Dubbo cricket has also improved his own game this season but he's also aware another level will be required in this weekend's two-day decider.

CYMS heads into the match as the defending premiers but Colts finished as minor premiers this summer and won two of the three games played between the two sides.

Marty Jeffrey and Chris Morton are the top two leading run-scorers in first grade while in Mitch Bower, Greg Buckley, Jason Ryan and Brad Cox the side contains a huge amount of experience and grand final know-how.

"It's going to be very tough but I'm looking forward to it," Bayliss said.

While he's travelled to Dubbo each weekend to play and hasn't been able to train regularly with the side, the Parkes all-rounder has felt a big part of the CYMS team this season.

He's part of a young core group which has improved after two losses in the opening five rounds resulted in them falling off the pace early on.

Having lost Ben Patterson, Brock Larance and Tom Coady from the side which won last year's title, there were some doubts around the Cougars given their patchy form early in the season but as a newcomer in the team Bayliss said there were never any worries.

"Everyone was confident and quietly confident about it," he said.

Bayliss attends university in Wagga and is unsure whether he'll return to CYMS next season, which provides more motivation ahead of the weekend.

"I'm pretty excited. It's the first season here so I'm looking forward to it," he said, before touching on what a premiership win would mean.

"It would mean the world. First season, getting the win under the belt would be pretty good."

Saturday's two-day grand final starts at 1pm on Saturday and continues from the same time on Sunday.

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