The opening day of the Bathurst-Orange Inter-District Cricket competition's second round had everything - tons, five-wicket hauls, indomitable performances and one absolutely shocking effort from a side most thought would seriously battle this summer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Of course that side is Kinross, who stunned City Colts by storming to first-innings points inside the first 80 overs of the day. Should they go on with their bumper first day performance, they'll hand the pre-season title favourites a second straight defeat to start the summer.
Here's the five things we learned from the opening day of the second round.
1 | KINROSS CAN BE THERE IN THE CLUTCH
Last week in this column we suggested Kinross could shake things up and, at times, do some damage against the competition's heavyweights, based on an encouraging albeit losing performance against CYMS in round one.
After they defied the odds to notch first innings points against City Colts on Saturday I'm going one further this week - we've seen enough, the students will be a finals side in 2019-20... if they want to be.
They arguably already have the most-agile fielding group - they always do, being young and energetic - and while their attack isn't exactly the most potent, there's enough to bowl even the best of sides out.
For years they've lacked an anchor to build their innings' around and they've got that in James Larkin, who led Saturday's outstanding effort with a classy ton, notching 120 from 115 balls and pushing Kinross to a 20-run lead at stumps.
Now, we know what you're saying - 'if Larkin doesn't score runs they won't win'.
There's some truth to that, he's scored a half-ton and a ton in their first two games, but the likes of Will Leulf and Harry May have both banged out half-centuries too and Max Powell did the same in the Royal Hotel Cup on Friday.
Larkin will keep scoring runs, he's too classy not to, so if they can offer him support week-to-week, Kinross will keep winning and they will make the top four.
2 | ORANGE CITY HAVE LEARNED HOW TO BAT... UH-OH
How good's a Happy Gilmore reference?
The Warriors have won the last two Orange titles but there's still no denying the fact they've still struggled to consistently post big scores in recent summers and have oft been saved by their traditionally-potent attack, they seem to have rectified that this summer.
Of course we're only two games in and the flat, hard Orange decks have assisted them, but backing up their monstrous innings of 4-347 in round one with with a second round, day one tally of 8-299 is a pretty positive, and ominous sign.
The most-encouraging factor for the Warriors is those runs aren't all coming from the usual suspects' bats.
In past years the side has leaned on the likes of Shaun Grenfell for big runs, but Dave Boundy and Lachie Coyte have already posted tons this summer while Ben Schofield, Ed Morrish, Shaun Churchill and Andrew Gordon have chipped in too.
3 | CITY COLTS ON DANGEROUS GROUND
We don't think anyone expected City Colts to lose in round one and certainly not hand over first innings points on the first day of round two, and if they can't flip that into an outright win the pre-season favourites will be on very dangerous ground.
There's only 10 games in the reinvigorated BOIDC season and while it's a 10-team competition, only four move on to play in the finals so any side that's still in the title race come March will definitely have won more games than they've lost.
Two losses in as many starts would put City Colts way behind the eight-ball, potentially in last on the standings, and leave them playing catch-up, an unenviable position, particularly with a rematch of last year's Bathurst grand final against St Pat's Old Boys looming in round three.
Sure that's dealing in hypothetical, but Kinross consolidating and holding on to win looks more likely than Colts flipping the result.
It's tough to know what to put City Colts' misfires with the bat down to, especially considering the power they boast in their top order, but they need to knuckle down because it's glaringly obvious that totals of 180-ish each week just won't cut it.
4 | PATIENCE IS A BATTERS' VIRTUE
It's become very clear the sides that occupy the crease for the longest periods of time will be the most successful in the reinvigorated Bathurst-Orange Inter-District Cricket competition.
Yes, we know, that sounds obvious, but there's a reason cliches become that and the old saying 'there's no substitute for time at crease; is ringing true through one-and-a-half rounds, in every sense of the adage.
Basically, sides like Orange City, Centennials and now Rugby Union have provided the blueprint for winning BOIDC games, and it's pretty simple - just win the toss and bat all day.
Unless of course you're chasing, that's a very different story, but still, time at the crease will translate into runs batting second as well.
With a minimum 80 overs in the day sides have more than enough time to post 250, or 300 plus in one afternoon, so a smash-and-grab approach just doesn't seem particularly smart, and a couple of sides are trying that too.
Dig in, bat for time and the runs will come and with them, wins.
5 | BROES' VOID COULD BE BIGGER THAN EXPECTED
Everyone knew how big a hole Nic Broes was going to leave in St Pat's Old Boys' side, but for the most part the chat surrounded who of the Saints would step up and become the side's premier batter.
We can't forget he was their strike bowler last year too, taking 31 wickets at a ridiculous average of 8.97 runs apiece, so there's as big a hole to fill in their attack.
The Saints did well to restrict Cavaliers to 201 in round one, but they still conceded almost 300 on Saturday, and let a big opportunity slip when they had Orange City in trouble at 4-62, although it must be said Lachie Coyte did bat magnificently for 109.
Still, from all accounts the Saints did go quiet through the middle stages of the day and that allowed the Warriors to resurrect their dig and then push to a massive total.
Broes often found a way to be that partnership-breaker for the Saints last summer and their attack's battle will be finding a way to do that without their go-to wicket-taker.
It is only one game though, on a wicket that's hardly conducive to any type of bowling. But still, it's something the likes of Matt Fearnley, Ethan Ivory and newly-selected Western Zone guns Connor Slattery and Mitch Taylor will have to do.
WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS AND SPORT?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...