CRICKET
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
AFTER suffering a disappointing seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Dubbo last Sunday, Bathurst must now refocus for a vital Western Zone Premier League match against Parkes tomorrow.
It will be only the second match of the summer for perennial heavyweights Parkes after their second round match last Saturday against Orange was washed-out.
In round one they were expected to provide a stern test for arch-rivals Dubbo but thanks to a Jordan Moran century, Dubbo smashed 9-322 off their 50 overs and kept Parkes to 212 in reply, Stu Naden taking five wickets.
Parkes don’t often play two bad games in a row.
“It is all about bouncing back from [last] Sunday,” Bathurst captain Daniel Casey, who’s side beat Cowra in round one, said.
“We had basically the best team we could field against Dubbo and we were in the match for long periods, but we had a few little lapses and it allowed them to cruise home in the end.
“This weekend we are going to be without a few players through unavailability and possibly injury, depending on how they pull up from Saturday’s games.
“With that in mind, whatever line-up we take over to Parkes is going to have to be at the top of its game.”
Joey Coughlan and Matt Stephen are both under injury clouds, while Matt Lawson and Ben Orme are both unavailable. Andrew Best returns to the squad.
The potential for additional absences means shadow players like Sam Macpherson and Derryn Clayton could come into consideration, while Andrew Brown has already been included in the initial 11.
Casey conceded that he didn’t have the best day as a tactician against Dubbo and will be hoping that a decision on batting or bowling first will be a little more clear cut tomorrow if the weather allows it.
Parkes has traditionally been a venue for high scores when the two sides meet but with a lot of wet weather around, that could change.
In the corresponding match last season, Bathurst broke into some unchartered territory with a brilliant win spearheaded by Jameel Qureshi and Best.
Best will be on deck this time around, but Qureshi had back problems during his team-high 62 against Dubbo.
“That forces other guys to step up, and I know talent-wise they can do it, but it is all about making sure mentally we push on if we get set at the crease,” Casey said.
“Josh Toole and Ben Orme both hit their stride last weekend but fell when they were starting to get on top. Mitch Bower and Asher Robbins from Dubbo both probably took a lot longer to get comfortable.
“But they pushed through it and their partnership was the difference in the two sides. We need to learn from what they did.”
Three members of Casey’s side in Toole, Ryan Peacock and Aaron Seymour have been boosted this week by their selection in the Western Zone opens side for the Country Championships.
Seymour received a glowing endorsement from Dubbo skipper Bower after their clash last Sunday, having picked up two wickets and conceding only 17 runs from his 10 overs in that contest.
A similar effort against the powerful Parkes top order, including fellow Western player Anthony Heraghty, Peter Yelland and former zone representative Scott Knights, would go a long way to getting Bathurst on top.
BATHURST: Daniel Casey (c), Henry Shoemark, Joey Coughlan, Andrew Best, Callum Hotham, Josh Toole, Andrew Brown, Ryan Peacock, Aaron Seymour, Matt Stephen, Matt Fearnley.