North West missed out on a semi-final appearance at the NSW CHS girls' cricket championships last week but that didn't stop a host of young stars rising to the top and recognised among the tournament's best.
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Armidale Secondary College's Sophie Parsons led the way at the competition held at Kingscliff.
She consistently made runs with the bat and finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer as well as being selected in the NSW First XI to go to nationals.
"I think she ended up on 334 runs for the carnival and she turned out to be the leading run-scorer," North West coach Bryan Warren said.
"Absolute weapon, a level above everyone we played essentially.
"There was only a couple of times where she looked like getting out.
"It was probably some of the best batting displays I have seen in cricket."
"She is going to turn into a really good cricketer," Warren said.
"She is going to have a lot of years, some very good performances.
"When she represents NSW CHS I hope she has some good performances as well."
Another standout was Tenterfield High School's Kyanne Fowler.
Warren said it was particularly outstanding given Tenterfield's relatively new junior programs.
"Kyanne Fowler would have been our leading wicket-taker and she is from Tenterfield," he said.
"She bowled fantastically, leading into the last day she was the leading wicket-taker for the tournament.
"There's not a lot of grassroots stuff there at the moment so for someone to come out of there has just been fantastic."
The North West team placed fifth at the tournament but Warren expects more success to come with all players eligible for the schools' competition next year.
"I think it is definitely an improvement over the last couple of years and that is based on the same girls being involved and getting that exposure at that level," he said.
"I would definitely try and encourage as many girls to get that exposure as well.
"They are only going to get better."
Warren said it is also positive to see towns outside of the larger cricket centres having representation in the team.
"The towns like Wee Waa, Tenterfield and Glen don't have a lot of cricket so they don't get that development so some of the girls that have come out of there have been absolutely fantastic," he said.
The team was:
1 Emily Rake Oxley HS
2 Matilda Currey Wee Waa HS
3 Maisie Eastwood Glen Innes HS
4 Kyanne Fowler Tenterfield HS
5 Sophie Parsons Armidale SC
6 Mackenzie Keeler Gunnedah HS
7 Hollie Woodbury Inverell HS
8 Annalisa Collins Inverell HS
9 Ellie Merchant Tenterfield HS
10 Olivia Merchant Tenterfield HS
11 Charlette Keeler Gunnedah HS
12 Georgie Leonard Inverell HS