ORANGE will head into tomorrow’s SCG Country Cup match against Dubbo with little to lose and everything to gain.
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A team that’s enjoyed limited success during the last three summers, Orange wasn’t expected to beat Cowra in the first SCG Cup match played at Wade Park in October, but a brilliant Nick Wright 125 and a fighting 50 from stand-in skipper Jackson Coote lifted the former champions off the representative canvas.
And, now, a date with Dubbo beckons.
An undoubted Western Zone force, Dubbo will boast seven zone representatives in its first XI tomorrow and must enter the clash as favourites.
But in a slap in the face to the Orange District Cricket Association contingent named to travel the Mitchell Highway west to Dubbo, opposition captain Tim Cox has admitted his team is already eyeing off a deep run into the final eight of the SCG Cup, well beyond tomorrow’s clash with the blue baggers.
And that’s exactly what Orange wants - a Dubbo outfit already eyeing off bigger fish.
“Dead right,” Orange player-coach Dave Boundy said.
“There’s a lot of pressure on them.
“Look, at the end of the day, they’re going to treat us like they do every other side. They try and demoralise opponents.
“But it’s just another game of cricket for us, and anything can happen.”
Boundy said this team carries little of the after-effects of last season’s 202-run trouncing at the hands of Dubbo, and two wins in a row over Cowra then Mudgee was evidence enough this Orange team was capable of grinding out victories.
“I’ve heard a few people say we were flogged in Dubbo last year, but that can happen. You see teams get massive scores then rissole the opposition 150 to 100 runs short quite often,” he added, calling for this squad to be patient and “knuckle down” with the bat.
“It just takes one good innings with the bat or one good bowling effort to keep teams in games.
“Dubbo won’t be expecting that.”
Orange has named a largely different outfit to the one that defeated Cowra, however, Western Zone quick Curtis Free, Mitchell batsman Charles Litchfield and last-match centurion Wright will all play.
Tomorrow’s match at Lady Cutler 1 starts at 10am.
ORANGE: Charles Litchfield, Matt Baker, John Warrington, Matt Corben, Josh Doherty, Jake Pauletto, Nick Wright, Curtis Free, Ed Morrish, Craig Rogan, Dave Boundy, Chris Novak.
DUBBO: Tim Cox (c), Tim Berry, Mitch Bower, Greg Buckley, Paul Hulthen, Ryan Medley, Jordan Moran, Chris Morton, Ben Patterson, Asher Robins, Jason Ryan, Ben Strachan.