Sydney Thunder veteran Ben Rohrer is expecting the reigning Big Bash League champions to light up Wade Park on Sunday – twice.
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The electric greens take on Hong Kong in the full squad’s first hit-out since claiming the 2015-16 title last January, and while a host of top flight players will be missing, the next generation of Thunder guns are tipped to fire.
In the absence of world class veterans Jacques Kallis and Mike Hussey, Ben Rohrer expects young batsmen Kurtis Patterson and Ryan Gibson to stand up on Sunday.
“Kurtis has been on the cusp of the Test side and Ryan is hitting a lot of runs for NSW at the moment, at the top of the order,” Rohrer said.
“They’re both more than capable of leading the way.”
Rohrer, too, will have added responsibility on his shoulders.
The middle-order bat and brilliant fieldsman is in line to captain the side in the absence of the injured Shane Watson.
If he does don the captain’s badge at Wade Park on Sunday, he’ll be hoping to fare a touch better than he did in his last trip to Orange, for a state challenge match between Orange and Bathurst in 2012.
“I was having a great time until I broke my finger in the field. I spent most of my time at the Orange Base Hospital,” he laughed.
“But the time I spent on the field, the ground there was in tremendous nick, so I’m looking forward to being out there a little longer this trip.
“Captaincy is something I’ve been fortunate enough to do a bit of over the years, at both the Renegades and with NSW. When I’m captain, my batting seems to go to another level.
“(Eoin) Morgan is another who would suit the role really well, and either way it goes I’m looking forward to helping the team.”
Morgan is one of the main attractions for the home side, which will turn Wade Park into the Thunderdome for the two clashes with the Hong Kong side.
The England captain was named in the Thunder squad, but livewire West Indian Andre Russell wasn’t, leaving the fixture void of a player Rohrer describes as easily “the most entertaining cricketer running around”.
Gates at Wade Park open at 11.30am, with the first ball of the day to be bowled at 12.30pm.
The second game will kick-off at 4pm.