ORC opens its Bonnor Cup account with super over victory against Lithgow Lightning

That is the position that ORC's Hamish Siegert found himself in on Friday night, and the birthday boy produced against Lithgow Lightning on an evening packed full of spectacular moments.

After the rivals had finished locked on 115 runs apiece at Wade Park, Tigers leg-spinner Siegert was given the task of bowling first in the pressure super over scenario.

He claimed two wickets - one of them coming with the assistance of a brilliant Ben Cant catch on the boundary - and there was a run out as well as Siegert restricted Lithgow to just six runs.

ORC skipper Dave Sellers then blasted the first ball he faced over the boundary for six and two deliveries later followed up with a four for his side to post a remarkable victory.

So how did Sellers, with some urging from experienced Tiger Clint Bryant, decide to give Siegert the job of bowling the crunch over?

"He bowled well within the innings, but it was a toss up whether we went for pace or spin. It was his 18th birthday so we thought 'Bugger it, we'll go for it.'," Sellers explained of his decision.

"He was on a hat-trick too and then they edged it just past the keeper for runs, so he nearly got a hat-trick on his 18th in a super over too.

"Ben Cant took a catch that was over the boundary for six - he threw it up in the air, ran back and caught it. That saved us six and got us a wicket."

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To win in such thrilling circumstances comes as a huge boost to ORC, who narrowly lost their first match of the Twenty20 competition to Orange powerhouse Cavaliers then had their second fixture washed-out.

It keeps ORC in the hunt to advance to the finals while Lightning, which is yet to win a game, is in a much tougher position.

Lightning won the toss on Friday night and sent ORC in to bat first, Hugh Parson's 39 off 50 the highlight of the Tigers' innings as they finished at 8-115.

Sellers knew it would not be an easy total to defend - their rivals needing less than a run a ball - but he maintained hope.

"We thought we were definitely below par, but we thought if we bowled well we definitely had enough because it was still sort of misty and raining and the pitch was doing a fair bit," he said.

ORC kept themselves in the hunt and it came down to their rivals needing eight off Justin Stephenson's final over to win. Lightning managed seven.

"We had them covered but then they had an edge down to third man which was running for four and Hugh Parsons did a mad save and stopped the four," Sellers said.

"Then they needed three and they got two, so that meant they needed one off the last ball which I thought they were going to get to be honest. But they edged it and [Tom] Judgey got a caught behind."

As Lightning finished at 6-115 in response to ORC's 8-115 there was some confusion over what came next. It was determined a super over scenario would be used to decide the victor.

Siegert bowled four dot balls in his super over then it was Sellers and Cant who strode out to the crease when it was ORC's turn to bat.

Ben Caldwell, who had earlier claimed an impressive 3-13 off four overs for Lightning, took the ball.

"We were tossing up if we went for two of the quicker running blokes who were better between the wickets, but I thought 'Nah I'll just take it and probably get a boundary early'," Sellers said.

"It worked out good, first ball six. I got a full toss which helped and I hit that for six. It was a dot and then a four, so it was good to get it done early."

The victory is ORC's first since returning to Bonnor Cup. That it came with in the main young XI and after beating Bathurst City in the Bathurst Orange Inter District Cricket competition six days earlier was even better.

"We had Clint [Bryant] and Clint hasn't played a game all year, we were a bit short on. There were a couple of guys who had been in presidents cup and only started second grade this year, so to win was really good, especially after we beat Redbacks," Sellers said.

"It shows that we can win clinically and we can win close. It was a cool game, it was actually just fun to be part of to be honest."

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