FORMER Australian Test match quick Len Pascoe was "very, very impressed" by Sunday's Plan B Regional Bash match-up between the Orana Outlaws and Central West Wranglers at Wade Park, and heaped praise on three players in particular.
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The Outlaws won Sunday's clash convincingly and expectedly Pascoe named two of Orana's stars in man-of-the-match Mick Curtale and Jacob McNaught, both from Cowra, as particularly impressive.
The Outlaws featured Dubbo's Mitch Bower, Ben Strachan, Jason Ryan, Asher Robins, James O'Brien, Mat Skinner and Ben Patterson but it was the two Cowra products who really caught Pascoe's eye.
Curtale produced a swashbuckling 55 from just 41 balls before McNaught nabbed 2-14 from his four overs to help their side to victory, and the latter was so impressive Pascoe named the ginger-haired tearaway as his player of the game.
"At the end of the day I think it came down to which player could come up with a match-winning performance," Pascoe said.
"For mine, Jacob McNaught (was the difference). He started a bit erratic but he bowled with such pace on the ball, he kept them on the back foot and took a couple of crucial wickets there.
"He really set the tone for the rest of the innings."
In terms of the Central West players, Pascoe lauded the performance of Orange's Matt Corben.
Corben, who kept wickets for the Wranglers, produced three stunning catches behind the stumps, and with zero byes next his name was nigh on perfect with the gloves, although he did get bowled for a duck.
"I have a funny feeling I coached [Corben] at a Shaun Brown Coaching Clinic a long time ago. From memory he was a soccer player, I think dux of his school, a great runner and a kid who could bat, wicketkeep and bowl," Pascoe laughed, describing Corben to a tee.
"He either listened to me or he didn't with his batting, he didn't get many today so I couldn't notice, but he kept wickets brilliantly, took a couple of lovely catches."
Pascoe could not speak highly enough of the concept, which essentially replaced the now-defunct SCG Country Cup.