Even though Orange City is pushing for its second consecutive Bathurst Orange Inter District championship, skipper Ed Morrish still feels like his men haven't received enough respect this summer.
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The Warriors were on wobbly legs throughout the middle of the season as crucial players dropped like flies, both with injuries and work commitments.
And after a close shave against Rugby Union in the grand-final qualifying match, the men in green will travel to Bathurst to take on St Pat's Old Boys in the big dance, something Morrish feels like was ruled out by the masses.
"I pay attention to what people say in the papers and a lot of people haven't rated us this year," Morrish said.
A lot of people didn't rate us this year.
- Ed Morrish.
"People have bashed us and said we won't make the grand final but here we are. I'm happy to take the underdog tag in this game but it doesn't matter who the favourite is."
St Pat's Old Boys are a side that's been picked to win the competition by many, and you can see why.
The boys in blue boast a well-rounded roster with a particularly potent bowling attack, something Morrish has spoken about all season.
"They've got a good opening pair in Mitch Taylor and Jack Goodsell," he said.
But, you can't spend too much time worrying about the opposition and the captain knows where the game will be won.
"Our top six is going to have to go out there and score the bulk of our runs," he said.
"Batsmen set up games, bowlers win it. It's as simple as that. Our individuals need to go out and execute. It's as simple as that."
Fast bowler Harry McGregor added to the conversation, addressing the importance of one-percent plays.
"If we execute the little things, I'm very confident we can come out on top," he said. Rugby Union made noise throughout the season but Morrish feels the two best sides are in the grand final.
"If you're talking about two-day cricket, the two best teams are in the final... 110 per cent, that's been proven," he said.
Prior to last year's BOIDC triumph, Morrish led the Warriors to back-to-back Orange-based titles but knows a win over St Pat's Old Boys would be right up there.
"This one would mean a fair bit just because it's been such a horror year for us," he said.
"We've had injuries, unavailabilities and people leaving. A few games haven't gone our way due to conditions but we've just kept fighting."
Even though Harry McGregor sits four-wickets behind Morrish in the season tally, the skipper knows the 17-year-old's performance will play a big part on the weekend.
"He's come on in leaps and bounds and I'm looking forward to see what he can roll out tomorrow."
Orange City will kick off its grand final against St Pat's at the Bathurst Sportsground on Saturday. First ball is 1pm.
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