Orange City skipper Craig Rogan cut a dejected figure after Sunday’s Orange District Cricket Association preliminary final loss to Cavaliers, a feeling the Warriors have become all too accustomed with over the past decade.
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Incredibly, in the last 10 seasons, Orange City has fallen at the penultimate hurdle seven times.
Despite the loss Rogan says there is plenty of positives to take from a season where, until January 14, the Warriors were winless and languishing in last.
Even making the preliminary final was an achievement, he said, but the emergence of seamer Brodie Cox is one of the biggest positives the Warriors’ captain took from 2016-17.
He joined the club from Newcastle’s Stockton mid-way through the year and as Rogan said, “stepped up” in Sunday’s preliminary final, only taking 1-23 from his nine overs but essentially bringing the Warriors back into the contest.
“It was the first time he'd bowled in first grade so he was a bit of surprise factor. No one had seen him, he stepped up and bowled fantastically,” Rogan said, highlighting Cox’s fighting spirit in another game as a great example of his value.
In his first grade debut for the Warriors against Centrals, he came to the crease at No.10 with his side 8-78 chasing 139 to win.
He pushed the side to within one lusty blow of victory, ending the chase not out on 22. Orange City fell five runs short of a win.
Rogan went on to tip the battle-hardened Cavaliers to down CYMS in next weekend’s decider, becoming the third of the eliminated mentors to not predict a green and golds victory.
"[Who wins is] a big question. My money's on Cavaliers, they'll have a lot of confidence from [last weekend],” Rogan said.
"I don't think CYMS have had the ideal preparation, so I think Cavaliers can do it."
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
