At the half-way mark
Tue, 29 December 2009
We enter the New Year full of expectation and are enjoying taking a couple of extra breaths after cramming 26 match days into just seven weeks from the end of October. Marking our report card at the half-way mark, I’ve given our Sheffield Shield season so far a strong '9' out of 10 and Ford Ranger one-day season a '6' to '6.5'. As I told the boys the other night after the game in Sydney had we had just one more win in the Fifty50s, we'd be sitting second, so overall, given the hectic schedule forced upon us with our October commitments overseas, that’s an outstanding effort. It's pleasing that every player has made a contribution at some stage in those first 12 games. Guys like Matty Wade and John Hastings have made particularly big steps for us, Matty with the gloves and with the bat and John likewise in an all-round capacity. He has been a real trojan for us. Aaron Finch has taken his one-day opportunities and earned a place in the initial Twenty20 squad, James Pattinson has come on and Chris Rogers has been making lots of runs at the head of the order. It was also pleasing to see two Bushrangers in Peter Siddle and Clint McKay in Australia’s Boxing Day Test XII. We'd love that number to double in the weeks ahead, not only in the remaining Tests but in the one-dayers as well. At domestic level we all know we have plenty of work still to do and a lot of challenges to meet. The competition is coming at us hard and that’s part of sport which makes it so great. Not only must we do without Brad Hodge in the second half of the first-class season, but Cam White is unlikely to be with us much after the New Year with Australia’s one-day and touring commitments. He has been a real mainstay for us with four half centuries so far. David Hussey will be captain while Cam is away and others will get the opportunity to step up to the plate. Having Dirk Nannes back for us for the Twenty20s is a bonus for us. Other than the opening Shield game of the season in Adelaide, he's yet to play all summer. Damien Wright is fit again now and available so he will no doubt be invaluable in the weeks ahead too. So far we have used 24 players in the first half of the season, more than any other state. Included amongst those are boys like Will Sheridan who played last week in Sydney for the first time and Rob Cassell who had his first game back with us for six or seven years in the one-dayer against the Bulls. Our depth is being tested and opportunities are there right now for players to make the next step. Exciting times are ahead. May I thank everyone for their support of the players and of us as a group and hope that a really big crowd can come to our Twenty20 game next Saturday night against the Blues. Happy New Year and compliments of the season to everyone.
Greg Shipperd, Coach DEC Bushrangers
