Dave Sellers is the first to admit his ORC side nominated for this year’s Royal Hotel Cup competition thinking it’d be little more than a bit of fun.
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He knows now that’s definitely not the case.
Surprised by the level and “professionalism” of Twenty20 cricket in this year’s cup, Sellers says his Tigers outfit is traveling to Orange for Friday night’s clash with Cavaliers prepared for tough short-form cricket.
That epiphany hit Sellers and the Bathurst District Cricket Association club after CYMS rolled ORC in a seven-wicket thrashing in the Tigers’ first foray back in November last year.
That day, the Tigers were restricted to 7-115 before CYMS guns Ben McAlpine (49 not out) and Tom Satterthwaite (41) launched the green and golds to victory in 13 overs.
ORC’s only other fixture of the tournament to date was a wash-out against Kinross, so Friday night’s meeting with Cavaliers is one Sellers says can kick start the Tigers’ unlikely run to the finals.
“I think we’re capable of a win. We were a bit outclassed against CYMS,” Sellers said, his side fairly green in the T20 arena.
“A few of us have played some Twenty20, Wayne (Sellers) has and has a couple of hundreds, but Bathurst is more a muck-around comp.
“We were a bit surprised with the standard.”
Sellers said Cavaliers can expect a better prepared ORC than the one CYMS ran roughshod over earlier in the tournament.
“We’ve been doing a bit of training ahead of our T20 stuff, just a bit of running between the wickets and fielding,” he said.
Sellers added ORC knew little about what Cavs would bring to the table, but the maroons are past champions in this format in the ODCA competition.
The Tigers opener was confident though, with a win likely to help ORC mount a late run for the finals.
The Tigers need to beat Cavaliers and then defending champions Lithgow in February to have a chance of making the top four.
Sellers said the in-form Dave Hitchick would be a welcome addition to the ORC side after a blazing century in club cricket last Saturday.
“And Evan Jones, definitely. He’s scoring runs and bats like a T20 every week. He’ll be a key player,” Sellers said.
Friday night’s clash begins at 6.30pm.