Captain Richie Venner has forecast a shinier future for Orange representative team cricket after they put up a brave fight against Cowra in the McDonalds Country Cup on Saturday.
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Though Cowra won by 53 runs Venner said there were plenty of times during the game when he was confident Orange would match them.
“With 10 to 15 overs to go were still in the game,” he said.
Cowra made 218 in their 50 overs at Country Club Oval ably led by captain Nick Berry who made 51 before being caught and bowled by Orange new boy Peter Gott.
Venner said: “Nick Berry got them off to a flyer but we were more than happy with their 218. We thought we would be able to get it.
“We started well and were no wickets down at drinks. But then we got behind the eight ball.”
He said: “A few players made starts but they never really went on with it.”
Venner praised his bowlers for a fighting effort.
He said Daryl Kennewell bowled his 10 overs straight picking up three wickets. “He bowled extremely well.”
Venner said Gott built up the pressure on the batsman and took two wickets while Hugh Le Lievre “shut the game out at the back end as well.” He finished with three wickets.
Tim Berry was the main destroyer for Cowra. He picked up 5-26 off his 10 overs including three maidens. Berry had earlier made 30 runs before being caught by Matt Corben off the bowling of Ed Morrish.
The loss to Cowra ended Orange’s McDonalds Country Cup campaign as it is a knockout competition. Cowra’s run lasted one day as they were defeated by Parkes on Sunday. Parkes scored 5-153 to top Cowra’s 8-152.
Orange will next play as part of Mitchell in the revamped President’s Cup tournament in the new year.
Venner said there were lots of bright prospects to flow from the game – particularly the way Orange fought it out to the end.
“In the last few years Orange haven’t gone that well. But the commitment we had was really good. It is pleasing that we fought pretty hard.”
He forecast that if they can keep the same combination of 12-15 players together and develop Orange would once again be a force in representative cricket.
Venner said that had the team played again on Sunday they would most likely have won.
He also said smaller towns placed greater emphasis on their representative teams whereas in Orange the emphasis was on club cricket, which was at a stronger level than in smaller towns.
In Orange club cricket both the first grade T20 games were abandoned due to the condition of the ground at Jack Brabham 4.
David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
