BATHURST captain Daniel Casey has announced a side that epitomises the well-used sporting cliche of youth and experience as the side try and win their fifth consecutive Presidents Cup this weekend.
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The Mitchell tournament format has changed once more for this season with two rounds to be played in Orange tomorrow and on Sunday with a third to be played on November 2.
The two top-ranked sides will face off on December 21 for the title.
Among the significant selections for this weekend’s side are City Colts batsman Callum Hotham who will keep wickets in his debut for the side, along with new Bathurst City recruit Charlie Morris who will play on Sunday.
He will rotate into the side for his Redbacks skipper Ben Orme.
Talented Rugby Union batting all-rounder Tyler Horton was due to make a remarkable return to representative sport just months after his life was in danger following a freak rugby league accident during the Astley Cup.
But injury will keep him out of the side for the time being.
Joey Coughlan has overcome an injury concern to make the side.
At the other end of the scale is City Colts opening bowler Matt Lawson who’s last major stint in the district team came nearly seven years ago.
A big off-season on the back of two stand-out summers with Colts since returning to regular first grade cricket has him primed and ready for action come tomorrow’s tournament opener against Mudgee.
“For the last few years work has made it impossible to play representative stuff, but that has changed a bit now, Dan Casey came to us and asked who was keen to put their hand up from Colts,” Lawson explained.
“I told him all along that if the work situation changed I’d like to play, I’m getting on a bit now, so I didn’t want to miss the chance to give it another go.
“I’d hope that I can have a bit of an impact, but I don’t want to say anything until after I play in case I go ordinary.”
Lawson has starred for Colts over the last two seasons, taking 18 wickets at 19 in 2013-14, and 24 at 13.2 the previous summer as he led Colts to a BDCA first grade grand final.
A stunning haul of 7-11 of 12.5 overs against St Pat’s Old boys was arguably the best individual bowling performance in recent memory.
Hard work over the winter will hopefully ensure that he is ready to deliver come game time after Colts had the bye in the opening round of the local competition last Saturday.
“I didn’t stop training over the winter, I was trying to bowl two or three times a week and in lunch breaks and that sort of thing, so I think I’m in good enough nick,” he said.
“It doesn’t always tell you how you’ll go though, same as footy.
“Your match fitness is totally different to what you do in training and even the fact that in the nets you use an old ball means you don’t know how much you’ll swing a newer one in a game.”
He forms part of a lethal attack for the Mudgee game along with Matt Fearnley and Aaron Seymour, while really every member of the side is capable of a contribution, aside from Hotham and perhaps Jameel Qureshi.
Given the bowling depth, Lawson says he doesn’t expect to get the new ball.
“I don’t think so, no. Matt is there and has done a great job for a while now and I think Aaron is probably the best bowler in town, so I’m happy to take on any role I can, we have so many bowling options,” he said.
“That is the strength of the side, if someone is having an off-day we have Henry [Shoemark], ‘Rhino’ [Adam Ryan] and others who can all do the job.
“If we can get enough runs out of the top-order I think our attack will be strong enough to beat anyone.”
BATHURST: Daniel Casey (c), Josh Toole (vc), Ben Orme (Saturday) Charlie Morris (Sunday), Jameel Qureshi, Shabbir Dhamani, Adam Ryan, Callum Hotham (wk), Joey Coughlan, Henry Shoemark, Matt Lawson, Aaron Seymour, Matt Fearnley