ORANGE City are one game away from the grand final of the Orange District Cricket Association first grade competition.

City defeated Waratahs by 85 runs on first innings after winning the toss and electing to bat first in their elimination semi-final on the weekend on a bowler-friendly Orange Ex-Services Country Club wicket.

But at 6-113, Orange City captain Matt Findlay admits his side may have gone into the game a shade over-confident.

“I think we may have been too cocky batting in that first innings,” Findlay said.

“We lost a few early wickets and we knew from there that we had to knuckle down a fair bit.

“I guess we were pretty lucky that the tail wagged in the end. Ben (Findlay) was probably responsible for saving us, really,” he said

“He was our best batsman the whole match.”

A last-wicket stand of 37 between Ben Findlay (25) and Jackson Coote (14) ensured Orange City posted a reasonable target of 165, with Waratahs’ Brad Priest and Matt Rumble claiming three City scalps each.

With the Orange Ex-Services pitch proving to be lively one Findlay knew his bowlers would be able to defend City’s modest first innings total.

“It was a different wicket out there. If our medium pace bowlers bowled tight then we were always in with a good show,” he said.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Andrew Rutledge dismantled Waratahs’ batting line-up, taking 6-26, while Daryl Kennewell backed him up superbly with three wickets of his own,

“Kennewell was probably our best bowler, he bowled well without luck,” Findlay said.

“Rutledge did most of the damage, though, he got Ray (Doolan) out with a great ball. That was definitely a big wicket.

“It was a pretty comfortable win in the end.”

Waratahs were bowled out for 80, leaving them 85 runs short of their opponents’ first innings total.

Orange City were 7-204 in their second innings when the match was called off, the greens earning the the right to play Orange CYMS in this weekend’s ODCA final.

“They’ve only lost three games in the two-day comp and one of them was this week,” Findlay said.

“I’m sure losing on the weekend has only made CYMS hungrier.”