Rugby has won three of its past five matches and all-rounder James O’Brien said his side is determined to keep on improving heading into the Christmas and New Year’s break.
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Rugby made it back-to-back wins on Saturday with a convincing seven-wicket victory over South Dubbo.
All the bowlers used did a job while captain Nathan Munro fired again with the bat and made an excellent 85 not out to help his side pass the Hornets’ total of 145 with more than five overs to spare.
While Rugby is finding form, Souths is struggling to find a win. Saturday’s loss made it five successive losses for last season RSL-Whitney Cup runners-up.
The Hornets were without a number of regulars, namely Mitch Bower and Will Lindsay on Saturday, but Rugby was also without Jordan Moran and still got the job done.
“It’s good to have Jordo coming back but it’s good that we’re winning without him,” O’Brien, who returned from injury on Saturday, said.
“We’re doing well and heading into the Christmas break we want to keep going and get right up there heading into the New Year.”
Dan Horrocks was a standout with the ball, taking 2/14 as Souths slumped to 5/34.
Blake Watmore (1/15 off eight) and Chris Russo (2/40 off eight) kept the pressure on but Justin Knudsen showed fight from number seven and his 63 helped the Hornets finish at 9/145 from their 40. Souths then began brilliantly in the field, with Scott Tucker knocking over Glenn Shepherd and Chris Russo to make it 2/0.
But Munro steadied the ship and when joined by O’Brien he lifted the run rate and powered his side to victory.
‘He’s hitting the ball the best I’ve ever seen,” O’Brien said of his captain. “He must be seeing them like watermelons and it was good for me because I didn’t have to worry about scoring, I could just turn it over and watch him hit them.”