WE'LL GET THERE: Josh Sands was Orange's most economical bowler in his side's nine wicket loss to Mudgee on Sunday, boasting figures of 0-23 off seven overs. Photo: JUDE KEOGH 0923cricket5
THE Orange District Cricket Association’s representative outfit will get there, it’ll just take time.
That’s the sentiment of skipper and experienced representative player Trent Colley after his side was humbled to the tune of a nine-wicket loss in its first Western Premier League contest against Mudgee this summer.
Simply, the 2012-13 Orange side is a work in progress.
“It is. I’m not going to hide the fact I don’t like losing. But on the other side of it, I think our efforts were there. It just comes down to the boys as a unit,” Colley said after the loss at Country Club Oval on Sunday.
“I’m going to keep backing the squad because I’ve got great faith in our squad and I think we can build on it.”
As Colley said, the signs are there.
The young opening pair of Charlie Litchfield and John Warrington put on 60 for the first wicket while Colley (54) and Nick Wright (49 not out) both started the season with the willow in fine fashion.
With the bat at least, Orange has started the year well.
But not everything went to plan in the field.
A match-winning opening stand of 177 chasing 4-206 to win between Mudgee’s two most experienced players in James O’Brien (115 not out) and skipper Steve Knight (73) all but ended any hope of an Orange win in the opening game of the season.
Colley said Orange’s effort with the ball wasn’t from a lack of trying.
If anything, his bowlers tried a little too hard.
“That’s a really positive thing,” he said.
“The boys want to do well for Orange and I suppose it comes down to getting the ball in hand and working out areas [to bowl in].”
Colley was committed to maintaining continuity in the squad.
“As a squad, I’m going to keep backing each and every player to perform and that’s all I can ask from these guys, their best,” he said.
But Orange’s next WPL clash will be arguably its hardest.
Orange takes on Dubbo at Wade Park on October 7.
“Dubbo have been a strong side in Western Zone for many years but at the end of the day we’ll have [Sunday] under our belt, a club game on the Saturday to move forward into playing Dubbo and an extra couple of training sessions,” Colley said.
“Again, I’m going to keep moving forward with this side. We can keep building results and performances and it’s just those little 1 per cent things.
“It’s not from a lack of effort, it’s just probably over trying where we’re trying a little too much and we bowl that full toss or a ball in that area where they can hit boundaries.”
