Canberra gets an early taste of Big Bash League action

Phillip Oval will host three Twenty20 matches and a 50-over clash between ACT/NSW Country and NSW Metro outfits over three days with a handful of the BBL's reigning champions on show.

Sydney Sixers gun Steve O'Keefe will link up with BBL teammates Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards and Ben Manenti in the Metro side. Joining them are Sydney Thunder players Arjun Nair and Ollie Davies.

They will collide with a Country outfit captained by Sixers recruit Dan Christian, as he joins forces with Thunder trio Chris Tremain, Jono Cook, and Nathan McAndrew, as well as Sixer Hayden Kerr.

Canberra trio Ben Taylor, Djali Bloomfield and Tom Vane Tempest also feature in the Country squad.

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The sides will play two Twenty20 games on Tuesday, a 50-over clash on Wednesday, and a final Twenty20 on Thursday.

It looms as the perfect appetiser for what is developing into a blockbuster summer of cricket in the capital with two internationals between Australia and India set to be followed by six BBL showdowns.

Meanwhile, the ACT Aces men's and women's teams will launch their Cricket NSW Regional Bash campaigns in Wagga Wagga on Sunday.

The men's side host the Murrumbidgee Rangers at McPherson Oval while the Border Bullets meet Wagga Wagga Sloggers at Robertson Oval.

Cricket ACT pathways manager Mick Delaney believes the survivors from the weekend could go all the way in the Twenty20 tournament which brings together the best players from regional competitions across the state.

"That's a 100 per cent possibility," Delaney said.

"Central Coast is always strong, as is Newcastle, but there's no reason why a team from (this group) couldn't win it.

"When you've got Albury and Wagga as two such big and strong sporting areas, you just know it's going to be some contest.

"Albury are always strong and Wagga have got some really good cricketers down there at the moment. They are great rivals. It will be a real grudge match.

"The other game will be just as competitive. It will be a great day of cricket."

CRICKET NSW SECOND XI MATCHES

Tuesday: Two Twenty20 matches - ACT/NSW Country v NSW Metro at Phillip Oval.

Wednesday: One-day match - ACT/NSW Country v NSW Metro at Phillip Oval.

Thursday: Twenty20 match - ACT/NSW Country v NSW Metro at Phillip Oval.

NSW Metro squad: Nick Bertus, Oliver Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Daniel Fallins, Ryan Hackney, Ryan Hadley, Lachlan Hearne, Baxter Holt, Ben Manenti, Liam Marshall, Arjun Nair, Stephen O'Keefe, Hunar Verma.

ACT/NSW Country squad: Daniel Christian (c), Justin Avendano, Riley Ayre, Djali Bloomfield, Jono Cook, Nick Cutler, Hayden Kerr, Nathan McAndrew, James Psarakis, Henry Railz, Ben Taylor, Chris Tremain, Tom Vane Tempest.

CRICKET NSW REGIONAL BASH

Sunday: Men's Thunder Conference - ACT Aces v Murrumbidgee Rangers at McPherson Oval, 10.45am.

Sunday: Women's Thunder Conference - ACT Aces v Border Bullets at Wagga Cricket Ground, 10.45am.

ACT Aces men's squad: SW Murn, LJ Evans, T Van Luin, O Anable, FR McGurk, RW Trickett, R Healy, E Fitzpatrick, D Leerdam (c), H Jacobs, J Staines (wk), J Myburgh, B Thomas.

ACT Aces women's squad: A Jason-Jones, G Kuchlmayr, S Gould, M Phelps, J King, J Bassett, KL Rowlings (c), C Levings, G Lyons, J Allen, C Galeano (wk), J Galeano.