A WIN for CYMS in today’s Orange District Cricket Association match would mean more than five-straight Saturday victories for the side.
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CYMS vice-captain Dave Neil says a win would help them take a step closer to cementing a semi-final berth.
CYMS will take on Kinross in today’s one-day match at Kinross, the last round before the holiday break.
Neil said the CYMS players had no shortage of motivation.
“If we win it’s five straight in Saturday cricket,” Neil explained.
“While it’s too early to look ahead to semi-finals, it’s clearly important to try to cement a place in the top three as early as possible. We’re on our way to doing that but there’s some good teams chasing us.
CYMS had a bye last weekend but didn’t lose any momentum as they enjoyed a Royal Hotel Cup win over Centrals on the Friday night.
CYMS might be in good form but Neil said there was plenty of pressure from the club’s second grade players for spots in the top side.
This competition from within was pushing the first grade side to perform well.
“There’s some boys in second grade - Tommy Evans, Michael Campbell, Grant Koch - who have been playing well, so there’s a healthy amount of pressure coming from beneath,” Neil said.
“Jake Sands, who captained first grade until three years ago, is also back in town, so the competition for first grade places will intensify, and that can only help us.”
Kinross are yet to win a Saturday game but they’re still not a side to be taken lightly.
The students will be without player-coach Andrew Litchfield as well as Charlie Litchfield and Louis Kostoglou.
They will be ably replaced by Stuart Crisp, Peter Crisp and Angus Gilmore.
For Peter Crisp and Gilmore, it will be their first grade debuts.
Both boys have shown they’re ready to step up to the top grade.
Gilmore has been a consistent performer for Kinross in the ODCA second grade competition, with 213 runs from six matches this season, including an unbeaten 62.
He is also still young enough to play in the Orange District Junior Cricket Association’s under 16 competition, where he regularly scores runs.
Peter Crisp could be an all-round threat like his father, having shown ability with bat and ball in second grade and under 16s.
Andrew Litchfield said senior players Stuart Crisp and Chris Gavin, along with captain Tom Bristow, would keep the Kinross players on track today.
“The boys have just got to put their best foot forward and try to do everything as well as possible,” Litchfield said.
“The talent and ability is there, we’ve just got to have it fire for 80 overs.”
Today’s game at Kinross Oval will start at 1pm.