WHILE a lot of ORC’s Bathurst District Cricket Association first grade premiership hopes are still pinned on their older brigade as the business end of season 2010-11 draws closer, it is the emergence of some of their younger stars that has their captain excited.
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The Tigers start their two-day season this afternoon at the Sportsground against Bathurst City and among their side will be two of the district’s brightest young prospects in the form of Michael Waldren and Oberon-based batsman Wayne Sellers.
Waldren has taken all before him at junior level in recent seasons and took to the top grade like a duck to water with an unbeaten 25 on debut against Redbacks.
For Sellers, it has taken a little longer to find his feet but after some important contributions against Oxford Centennials (29 not out) and City Colts (32), it seems as though he is there to stay for the time being.
“It has taken me a little while to work out how to play in first grade, it isn’t like junior cricket where even in representative stuff you are often trying to score as fast as you can and play big shots all the time,” Sellers said.
“It doesn’t take long to work out that it doesn’t work like that in senior cricket, especially in first grade, but working out a way to score runs and contribute takes a bit of time.
“I’ve learned a fair bit from watching the older guys in the team as well as some of the players we’ve played against. They all know how to pace themselves and keep out the good balls, they know when to play their shots.”
Sellers played a crucial role his his club’s second grade premiership last season, scoring 76 in their win over Rugby Union in the minor semi-final to help keep their season alive for another week.
With some holes to fill in the top order of the first grade side and given his speed and prowess in the field, Sellers was a natural choice to be elevated.
“I think our batting has got plenty of improvement in it, we are probably a better two-day side with the bat than one-dayers,” he said.
“So far this season we’ve always found a way to score runs, but we haven’t really dominated anyone yet, I think that is more likely to happen in a two-day game where we have more time to play ourselves in.
“Redbacks are a good side and they have a heap of good bowlers so we won’t get many free hits or anything, but at least we get some more time to build an innings.”
ORC will be looking to the likes of Bruce Webb and Tim Halloran to re-produce some of their form from the two-day games last season while in week one Ben Cummings will be important to his team with bat or ball.
Wade Elliott will replace him in week two.
So far this season the ledger between the two sides sits at one apiece after Bathurst City picked up a one-wicket win in the opening round while ORC hit back against a badly understrength Redbacks team in round six.
ORC: Mick Fardon (c), Scott Inwood, Brendan Inwood, Bruce Webb, Sam Debenham, Tim McKinnon, Adrian Mielke, Mike Waldren, Wayne Sellers, Jerramy Gillespie, Ben Cummings (week 1), Wade Elliott (week 2).
