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CAVALIERS and Molong kick off the new-look, eight-team Royal Hotel Cup on Friday night but, despite the excitement surrounding the 2015-16 season’s first day/night game, all eyes remain firmly fixed on last year’s champions CYMS.
With a strong pre-season, shrewd recruitment and a winning start to the long-form Orange District Cricket Association season under their belts, the green and golds enter the Twenty20 competition as firm title favourites and will kick off their campaign next month against Kinross.
It’s a fact not lost on CYMS skipper Hamish Finlayson, who acknowledged his side will be viewed as the team to beat after last year’s rampant performance in winning the title - outside one pool stage loss to Orange City, the green and golds never looked like losing.
Although, as Finlayson put it, “it’s Twenty20, who knows what could happen”?
“We definitely have a good chance to shake the competition up again,” Finlayson said.
“But realistically, it’s Twenty20, who knows what could happen? Every side has players capable of dominating and taking a game away. You just never know.”
Finlayson labelled traditional heavyweights Cavaliers and Orange City as two teams likely to produce again in the shortest format, and said based on last season’s competition Cowra will be another side present at the pointy end.
“Cowra will be very tough to beat, they’re a representative side so they will be strong again,” Finlayson said.
“Cavaliers and Orange City are always very strong in the shorter formats, they’ve been there or thereabouts since the competition changed to Twenty20.
“We’re looking forward to the competition this year.”
The Royal Hotel Cup has been cut to eight sides in 2015-16 - Blayney and Lithgow were axed in favour of a smaller competition - with Friday night’s game kicking off at 6.30pm at Wade Park.
