The Orana Outlaws are one step away from Plan B Regional Bash glory after a clinical 28 run win over the Wagga Wagga Sloggers in Sunday morning’s semi-final at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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After two convincing wins in the opening rounds, the Outlaws travelled to the hallowed turf of the SCG in a confident mood and that showed, as Jordan Moran and captain Nathan Pilon set up victory with a brilliant 128 run partnership.
A quality opening spell from Mat Skinner, contributions from nearly every other bowler and a neat fielding display then helped the Outlaws dismiss the Sloggers for 155.
“We said we wanted to go at least one step further and now all the focus turns to one last game,” Orana coach Jason Ryan said after the win.
“We’ve got a bit of a break now and we’re in a good spot. We’ll have some lunch, go for a swim and a relax and then come back again.”
The Outlaws will take on either the Newcaslte Blasters or the Northern Rivers Rock in the decider, which played at 6pm.
The Outlaws were sent into bat in the semi and that decision from the Sloggers seemed a smart one when Wes Giddings (4) was bowled by Wagga danger man Ethan Bartlett on the final ball of the first over.
That brought Pilon to the crease and he and Moran toughed out some good bowling while they were also brutal to anything loose.
“They put on over 100 after we were under the pump early when Wes got out,” Ryan said.
“They rebuilt and had pressure coming from Bartlett, he was their quality player, but then there was an over from the other end they took for about 20 and that got us going and released some of the pressure.
“They put us on the front foot and batted beautifully.”
Pilon was the dominant one of the pair early on, with his first four scoring shots being three fours and a six.
He reached his 50 from just 35 balls as the Outlaws passed the 100 mark in the 12th over.
He fell to a smart catch after skying one on 71. That score came from 41 balls and included nine fours and three sixes.
Moran passed 50 shortly after Pilon departed and he too continued to pile on the runs.
He fell for 75 from 54 balls late on, hitting nine fours and two sixes in his innings.
Bartlett returned late on and ensured the Outlaws didn’t reach 200.
The Wagga all-rounder was coming off a century in the last round and looked ominous opening the batting when taking 11 off the first over from Jacob McNaught.
However he went to turn Mat Skinner’s very first ball to the leg side and was trapped in front.
Skinner bowled out his four with the new ball and finished with an impressive 1/19, forcing the required run rate to get higher and higher.
“He bowled well (last round) in Bowral too and did a really good job,” Ryan said of Skinner.
“Obviously he’s not as quick as some of the others but I think that works to his advantage. He swings it around and the batsmen have to make the pace.”
Ben Strachan (1/26) also bowled well before spinners Marty Jeffrey (1/25), Wes Giddings (2/29) and Greg Buckley (2/11) tightened the screws more and helped bowl out the Sloggers in 19.3 overs.
Ryan praised all the bowlers used and said the fact only two bowlers bowled out their four overs was proof of the side’s depth.
“And we had plenty of depth with the bat too,” he said.
“We had some guys who didn’t get near their quantity of overs so we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve for tonight.”
The final is played at 6pm at the SCG and can be watched live on the Cricket NSW website.