Orange’s Central West representatives are very aware this weekend’s Cricket NSW Plan B Regional Bash Thunder Conference carnival will be a massive challenge, but the opportunity to match-up against some of the state’s best is one they’ll relish.
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Orange City quick Jackson Coote, Centrals tearaway Daryl Kennewell and Cavaliers’ duo Josh Doherty and Matt Corben will all don Wranglers colours, as the side tries to break it’s two-year duck in Country Cricket NSW’s marquee Twenty20 tournament.
Coote and Corben played in the inaugural edition in 2015 and return to the Wranglers’ set-up after missing last year while Doherty and Kennewell will make their debuts.
“It’s nice to be back, I’m sure Corbs feels the same way,” Coote said.
“For me, playing for Western again was great and it’s exciting to still be getting noticed in this format of the game too.”
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After returning to the Western Zone side for the first time since 2010-11 Coote was considered a virtual certainty for selection, but has bowled well this summer while Corben, Doherty and Kennewell have all earned their call-ups thanks to their form at the back end of last summer and the start of this season.
“I can’t say it’s something I had my eye on, but it’s a great opportunity,” Doherty said.
“It’s nice to have your hard work rewarded too, so it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to.”
“It’s a great concept and I’ve got no idea what to expect from it, but I’m excited for it as well,” Kennewell, Orange’s skipper, added.
“I certainly wasn’t expecting to be considered among this group but it’s an opportunity I was always going to take if it came along, and it’s nice to take another step forward in the representative arena.
“Whether I’ve got the ball or bat in my hand or I’m running drinks I think I’ve got plenty to offer and can make an impact.”
We’re the underdogs, we’ve got nothing to lose.
- Wranglers quick Jackson Coote
Coote said the Wranglers’ consecutive first-round, knockout defeats to Orana will act as motivation for the group, and added that winless record might actually alleviate any pressure the hosts could have burdened.
“Losses always motivate you to do better and we’re the underdogs this weekend, we’ve got nothing to lose,” he said.
“I think that’ll let us play with freedom and play an all-out, aggressive style of cricket, which I love.”
The Wranglers will be focusing on what’s in front of them too, Doherty added, despite the Outlaws being the reigning champions, ACT boasting a powerhouse side and South Coast being a complete unknown.
There’ll be no playing sides based on reputation.
“People tend to go on about this person, or that person, or how good this side is. I don’t buy into any of that,” Doherty said, following Central West coach Richie Venner’s lead.
“It’s Twenty20 cricket, anything can happen no matter how good a player or a side is.”
Venner said earlier this week he’s very confident the side can push for a finals berth, the winner of this weekend’s Thunder Conference Orange pool will join the Newcastle Blasters and Wagga Wagga Sloggers in the semi-finals at the SCG on December 10.
The fourth spot will go to the Coffs Coast Chargers, Macquarie Coast Stingers, Northern Inland Bolters and Northern Rivers Rock.
Taking to that hallowed turf is another motivating factor, especially for Coote, who’s played there before.
“I played at the SCG when I was at school (at Kinross) once,” he said.
“It was absolutely unreal, so it’d be incredible to go back and play on an international ground again. It’s something you never forget and something I’d love to see the other guys experience.”
Central West kicks off its campaign in Saturday’s day-night local derby with Orana, from 7.30pm at Wade Park, before taking on South Coast and ACT on Sunday at the same ground, from 9.30am and 1.30pm respectively.
With rain around, the question of what happens in the event of a washed-out weekend considering the ACT has moved to the top of the group with their win over South Coast has arisen.
Section 19.3 of the competition’s playing conditions addresses that exact issue, and states that ”if matches are played at separate locations and on separate dates and matches at either location are weather affected, then 50 per cent of total pool matches must be completed to determine a winner of the pool”.
It goes on to say that “if less than 50 per cent are completed, then the side to progress to the conference final is the highest finishing side from last season. If those positions are equal, the side with the overall highest run rate from the previous season will progress”.
That means just two of six games – with five overs minimum for both sides – must be completed to fulfill that minimum 50 per cent, while if the latter situation arises, Orana will progress.
- CENTRAL WEST WRANGLERS: Jameel Qureshi ©, Ryan Peacock ©, Josh Toole, Wayne Sellers, Henry Shoemark, Nic Broes, Connor Slattery, Matt Stephen, Aaron Seymour, Luke Powell, Ben Parsons (Bathurst), Ryan Gurney (Lithgow), Daryl Kennewell, Josh Doherty, Matt Corben, Jackson Coote (Orange)