BATHURST City have the chance to complete the one-day portion of the Bathurst District Cricket Association first grade season with an unblemished record this Saturday.
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The problem? Their opponents Rugby Union are trying to do the same thing.
Redbacks will go up against Rugby at the Sportsground in what will be the most anticipated game of the season so far.
For Rugby it’s a chance for their defending champion squad to continue their great run of form in a new season but for Redbacks they’re ready to show that their new recruits can handle the pressure situations.
Among that group is Northern Ireland recruit Aditya Adey. He’s proven more than reliable with the willow and earned a place in Sunday’s President’s Cup side.
Mark Day has also booked his spot for the game against the Blue Mountains after his knock of 93 against St Pat’s Old Boys.
Redbacks captain Joey Coughlan is hopeful the pair can help their club side enter their bye round with four wins from as many games.
“They both deserve selection. Adey’s an absolute freak and he’s worked really hard to score runs overseas. Mark’s been playing great and I honestly feel they should both have been in the team from the start,” he said.
“We were expecting to be in a rebuild phase losing five quality cricketers who have been in the team for the best part of a decade.
“That’s especially the case for Matt Willis who has been in the team for 17 to 18 years of the Redbacks.
“It’s a credit to our guys who have turned out for a long pre-season and their efforts are reaping rewards.”
So far Redbacks have racked up wins against City Colts and St Pat’s.
Rugby proved too good for Pat’s in the grand final rematch before seeing off Centennials Bulls.
Bathurst City have also been awarded the win from last round’s washed out game against Centennials Bulls.
Coughlan believes the game against Rugby Union will come down to who can regain their focus quicker after a weekend away from cricket.
“It’s a good test to see where both teams are at. We got lucky with that washout and they had the bye, so we’re both coming in off a week off,” he said.
“Having the bye means the season gets broken up so you don’t get to string six weekends of cricket together before the break.
“That could throw a few teams out of whack and it could help some of the lower teams jump up a bit.”
The game could be a cracker if it comes close to the quality of the team’s previous meeting.
Rugby Union won that contest on first innings points with a three-run victory, although Redbacks will be fielding a vastly different outfit come Saturday.
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