St George’s Captain: “We Will Win The Cup”
[Written by Don Burgess]
First-time St. George’s Cup Match captain OJ Pitcher made a bold prediction that not only will his team win the Cup, they will do it by 5:30pm on the second day.
The skipper knows his squad has to bowl out Somerset twice and believes he has enough fresh faces to last well into Friday to get a triumphant win at Wellington Oval.
The squad returns just five players from last year’s team and both the captain and vice captain George O’Brien are new.
“It’s a great honour to be captain for St. George’s,” Pitcher said. “It shows the faith they have in me.”
Pitcher added the fact that he doesn’t play for the club team in the league ramps up the belief St. George’s has placed in him. It’s that same belief he places in the rest of the team to produce a victory.
“We have a great chance. We have guys that have come in [to the team] that can do the job that second day. That was our only downfall last year. We have guys like Stefan Kelly, Damali Bell, and Kyle Hodsell who can bowl all day.
“Kyle was with us last year but that was a batting wicket and this year it will be more of a bowling wicket.”
The skipper also had high praise fast bowler O’Brien and feels the two will be in sync to help produce a winner for St. George’s.
“We’re very close friends off the field. George knows the game and is a student of the game. He knows his stuff. He will be the perfect vice captain.”
Pitcher said even though there has been a lot of rain over the past week, if the next few days produce clear skies, the wicket should deliver for them.
“If we get the sun, we’ll be all right,” he said. “If we get the weather we want the rest of today and tomorrow, we’ll have the wicket we want on Thursday. Hopefully, the rain will hold off.”
If they win the coin toss, the weather will also determine if St. George’s bats or fields.
“I have in mind what I want to do and have been in talks with a few of the coaches. There are still a few things I want to finalize but on the day we will make a final decision, but that all depends on the weather.”
He said the batting order has been set, barring some unforeseen injury during the game.
He said the pressure of being a first time captain trying to win the Cup back hasn’t bothered him at all.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge. I ‘m used to it. I’ve been to used to many pressure situations, not just in Cup Match as a player but as captain of my team St. David’s in the regular league. It’s a challenge I am willing to take on.”
He said in order for St. George’s to claim victory the bowling has to be spot on and they have to take the catches when they are there.
“We have to take 20 wickets, everyone knows that, but we also have to take our chances. There are certain guys on that team we can’t give a second chance to get a big score.
“But cricket is played on the field and we are definitely ready for these guys. We’ll have the Cup on 5:30pm on the second day.”
What on EARTH would make him think St. Georges will win….This is absolutely absurd… It is absolutely NO WAY St. Georges will win
WHY NOT
psych!! got you! haha
???? So the Captain should say “we have no chance?” Your joking right? right? Come on say your pulling my leg?
It’s called confidence fool!!!!!
More like Foolishness!!!!!
You would know onion j
Exactly! Onion is the biggest fool of them all!!
@Onion Juice, please see comment above.
Ya pulling my leg right? Come on, right?
Red-N-Blue for Life
I’m hoping st.Georges will win
St Geo has the team more than capable to win this Cup back..upset and make a great game….Go St George’s….
No diss but ST George’s is just not strong enough as a team and players are to weak and fragile
You have to be on the friends and family plan to have a chance to play on the St.Georges team
West is the best is going to kick east is the least a** .!!!!
Here’s some food for thought…..As loyal as I am to St.George’s, I think the team that has been selected this year is too weak, so much so that I believe that if they were to bring guys like Clevie Wade, Charlie Marshall, Clay Smith, Allen Richardson, Arnold Manders back even today, they would beat the team that St.George’s has selected. No disrespect intended, it’s just that the discipline needed to play at that high level for two days is lacking today.
Hope it rains both days!
It’s great to see such a positive attitude and determination in our Captain. Well said, OJ! I am looking forward to a great game, with a St George’s victory!
Me too. GOOOOOOOO ST. GEROGE’SSSSSSSS…….get those Somerset people !!!!
Haha. Nice joke.
St. Georges ain’t wining nothing. The only cup they’re gonna get is a solo cup
A red solo cup
I am a St. Georges fan. I am not sure if we have strong enough team to get a win over Somerset’s team. So once again I think the cup will be heading West but we will see. I just want a good game of cricket no matter what.
I too wish for a stronger St. G team, over the last couple of years, the weather has been putting up more of a challenge for Somerset than St. G. As much as I love to see the up go west, I would love it to be from a good cricket match too.
Sadly, in the end I don’t think we really got that good game of cricket. The batting was somewhat of a letdown, although the bowling and fielding were of an ok standard.
That said, there was a result, and that will please the casual fans.
Speaking de truth Captain cuz Warriors walk by faith We have a great captain and his sidekick bowl um out GJ. I see JT’s middle stump laid back QUACK
Cuz they all gotta go all gotta go
So it sounds like your playing with a draw with that weak St. Georges team…..The Cup WILL be heading back WEST!!!!!!!!
for*
We in St G do have a spinner. I have seen Fique Crockwell bowl spin for St Davids…