In a new addition to the Daily Liberal's coverage of the RSL-Whitney Cup this season, each week we'll look at some of the major talking points coming out of the first grade competition in the Quick Singles series.
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It might be good, it might be bad, it might just be something we find funny. Either way, it's more of a look at what's happening in one of the bush's strongest club competitions.
Here's what caught our attention on Saturday.
1. Is Dubbo still a batsman's paradise?
For as long as I've been involved in cricket in the western area, roughly two decades now, the thought around pitches in Dubbo has nearly always been the same.
They've been considered roads, almost unfair to bowlers and they're surfaces which allowed batsmen to pile on runs almost for fun.
While it was in no way always true, there's no doubt a lot more centuries were being scored just a few years ago than they are now.
Brad Cox reached triple figures for RSL-Colts on Saturday and it was just the third time this season someone has.
Only five hundreds were scored last summer but the one before that, 2017/18, saw triple figures reached 16 times.
If you compare this season to that 2017/18 one, seven centuries had been scored up to this point and it also must be noted four games had been washed out already that campaign.
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Go back a bit further and 10 centuries were scored in each of the 2016/17 and 2015/16 seasons and there was a stack of 90s as well.
There was 12 if you go back further to the 2014/15 season.
Is it the pitches? Have the surfaces changed? Or are the batsman in Dubbo now just not quite at the same level we've seen in the past?
It's worth some thought, especially given 10 centuries have already been scored in the newly-reformed and highly-competitive Bathurst Orange Inter-District Cricket competition.
2. Cox's class is permanent
"A lot of people had sort of ruled him out and thought maybe he was done."
Marty Jeffrey no doubt would have enjoyed saying that when talking about the aforementioned Cox after Saturday's win.
It was only a few weeks ago this column pointed out Cox was in one of the leanest patches he had been in some time as he struggled to score more than 20.
Despite that, it was written at the time Cox can never been ruled out completely and he proved that on Saturday when making 102 from 103 balls in the crushing win over Newtown.
He hit 11 boundaries and three sixes in the knock as well. While it's no shock, it's not something we're totally used to as Cox has often played the grinding anchor role in the middle order.
But, batting at number three on Saturday, he played with a little more freedom.
This just one week after the so often measured and composed Cox shocked CYMS opening bowler Ben O'Donnell by charging at him.
3. Haylock the quiet achiever
Macquarie has been talked up plenty in this column this season, and rightly so.
The side is loaded with talent and looks every bit a leading premiership contender.
But one person that hasn't been written and spoken about as much is Joe Haylock.
It was only a couple of seasons ago Haylock dropped down to be second grade skipper but he's worked his way back up and is now a key cog in a side loaded with big names.
So much so, Haylock is now the joint-leading wicket-taker in the competition with 14 scalps.
He's not just knocking over the tail either, with Brock Larance, Marty Jeffrey, Lachlan Strachan, Adam Wells, and Doug Potter among those he's dismissed.
Ben Strachan, Angus Cusack, and spinner Dan Medway may spring to mind when thinking about the Macquarie attack but it's Haylock is proving the danger with both the new and old ball.
Barry Hildebrandt Medal tally
Every season the Daily Liberal's sports team awards a three, two, one after each game in first grade. We'll give updates after each weekend until Christmas, when voting goes behind closed doors.
Here's how this campaign's race is shaping up:
- 10: Ricky Medway (Macquarie)
- 9: Lachlan Strachan (CYMS)
- 6: Brock Larance (CYMS)
- 5: Dan Medway (Macquarie), Bailey Edmunds (CYMS), Marty Jeffrey (RSL-Colts), Jacob Hill (Rugby), Adam Wells (Souths)
- 4: Koda Sissian (Rugby), Mat Skinner (Newtown)
- 3: Steve Skinner (Newtown), Ben Knaggs (CYMS), John Colwell (Souths), Doug Potter (Newtown), Roland O'Connor (Rugby), Brad Cox (Colts)
- 2: Ben Semmler (Colts), Luke Carman (Macquarie), Tom Coady (CYMS), Lachie Rayner (Souths), Mitch Russo (Newtown), Ben Williams (CYMS), Jesse Spang (Newtown)
- 1: Angus Norton (Souths), Lee Price (Newtown), Aidan Bennewith (Rugby), Lochie Endacott (Souths), Charlie Kempston (Colts), Jason Green (Macquarie), Joey Haylock (Macquarie), Dan French (Newtown), Anthony Atlee (RSL-Colts), Chris Morton (Colts), Greg Rummans (Souths), Bede Young (RSL-Colts)