THE wider Western Zone cricket community will venture to Dubbo’s No.1 Oval on Sunday for the opening round of this summer’s Plan B Regional Bash confident of an Orana victory.
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Scrap that, confident probably isn’t the right word.
They’re banking on one.
But Central West Wranglers captain Jameel Qureshi says his side is more than capable of springing an upset over their Orana opponents, a team drawing from the dominant Lachlan and Macquarie regions of the zone.
“Twenty20 is a funny game,” Qureshi said.
“It really only takes two guys to have a day out with the bat or the ball and things swing your way. I’ve said it a few times when I was with Centrals as well.”
Last season’s Carl Sharpe medalist – the award for Royal Hotel Cup Twenty20 player of the year - Qureshi will largely be the key for the Wranglers at the top of the order.
He top scored, unbeaten last season as the Wranglers failed to chase Orana’s 8-136 at Wade Park.
The gun bat will be joined by host of his Bathurst rep teammates, a group that won last year’s now-defunct Western Zone Premier League competition, while the addition of Cavaliers’ skipper Richie Venner in the side is a bonus.
“Joey Coughlan has a ton against Dubbo, Henry Shoemark a hundred against Parkes, Tooley is capable of blasting them, Venner has been around the block, Ryan Peacock could be anything … it’s a great side,” Qureshi added.
“I think it was our batting that let us down in that game last year.
“To be fair I thought our bowling and fielding was great, but we were short with the bat. If Tooley faces 20 balls we probably win the game.”
Adding to the Wranglers’ batting depth, selectors have added Ben Trevor-Jones to the squad as a marquee player.
Trevor-Jones is currently playing grade cricket in Sydney, and has contributed heavily to the top order of both Sydney University’s first and second grade sides.
“Benny is a great keeper and a solid top-order bat,” Qureshi said, former City quick Josh Bennett and ex-Cavaliers seamer Matt White making up the other two marquee signings.
Both will miss Sunday’s game.
“I’d have loved to have had Matty White. He’s killing it with Manly at the moment,” Qureshi said. Sunday’s game begins at 2pm at Dubbo.