Lachie Coyte's no stranger to skippering Orange junior sides, but his first appointment in the senior ranks comes with new challenges he's excited to tackle head on.
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Winning games at this weekend's Western Zone Under-18 Carnival is the main one, but he's also excited to navigate the challenge of 'making sure we get the best out of everyone'.
There's spots in Western's side for the McDonald's Country Cricket NSW Colts Championship after all, so giving all his troops the chance to press their claims is an important aspect of the weekend.
"I'm sure selectors have guys in mind and with only two games to really impress now that is important, everyone knowing their role will be the key in that," Coyte said.
Individual selections tend to look after themselves when you're winning games ... so trying to get over the line as a team is the first priority.
- Orange skipper Lachie Coyte
"I guess the catch in a way is those individual selections tend to look after themselves when you're winning games.
"So trying to get over the line as a team is the first priority, and that'll be tough but we've named a good side so I'm confident we can do that."
Coyte will have Cavaliers' Hugh Middleton as a worthy deputy at Bathurst's Morse Park this weekend, and he'll be joined by Orange City teammates Blake Weymouth, Harry McGregor and Nick Warburton.
Kinross skipper Will Luelf has been named as well, alongside fellow students Ed Taylor, Harry May, George Cumming and Hugh McIntyre.
Cavaliers' Cam Laird, CYMS' Ike Dean and Centrals' Logan Buckley round out the side, an in-form outfit to boot.
"There's guys scoring runs and taking wickets, so hopefully they continue that form," Coyte said.
Coyte's Orange side faces Dubbo first-up on Saturday while Bathurst take on the Chairman's XI, the two winning sides play in Sunday's final.
He said he'll employ a lead-from-the-front style of captaincy, another leadership challenge he enjoys.
"Definitely, if I can score runs and wicketkeep well and we win games as well that's the ideal situation," Coyte, who's averaging almost 60 this summer, said.
"Personally I'd love to put my hand up for Western selection and I do like the tactical side of things in terms of captaincy, the thinking side of the game.
"We'll have to have good plans in place and execute them against Dubbo, I get the feeling they might be the team to beat although I've not seen their side.
"Bathurst have obviously lost a couple of those big names like Ben Mitchell and Tanvir Singh but you can't take them lightly.
"You can't take the Chairman's XI lightly either actually, they're a good-looking side with a few guys who are doing really well in Orange at the moment."
Orange face Dubbo at Morse Park 2 from 10am on Saturday morning while Bathurst host the Chairman's XI at Morse Park 1.
The final will be played at the latter ground from 10am on Sunday, the two losing outfits will play-off that day, for the chance to impress one more time individually.
The Western side to head to the country championship in mid-December will be named after the carnival's completion.
- ORANGE: Lachie Coyte (Orange City - captain), Hugh Middleton (Cavaliers - vice captain), Blake Weymouth (Orange City), Will Luelf (Kinross), Cam Laird (Cavaliers), Logan Buckley (Centrals), Harry May (Kinross), Nick Warburton (Orange City), George Cumming (Kinross), Harry McGregor (Orange City), Ike Dean (CYMS), Ed Taylor (Kinross), Hugh McIntyre (Kinross)
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