When Romsey takes to the cricket field this season you don’t know which side will turn up, the good or the bad.
Romsey has made the most inconsistent start to Gisborne Cricket’s McIntyre Cup, with two wins, a tie, a first-innings loss and an outright loss.
Captain-coach Chris Burkett said consistency was something the side had been trying to address.
“As I was saying to the boys, when we play good we play pretty good cricket. When we play bad it’s really bad,” he said.
“We have to find something in between and play consistent cricket. In the game against Diggers Rest [an outright loss] we didn’t expect to lose the game and our batting was really poor. We needed a bit more fight.”
On Saturday, the good Romsey came to play and beat Woodend at home.
Romsey made 199 in its first innings, Matt Burkett top-scoring with 58, after bowling out Woodend for 167.
The visitors were 4-18 in the second innings when stumps were drawn.
The skipper and star batsman said one thing that was different from last season was that there was more options with the bat.
Burkett made a duck at the weekend, but it didn’t matter as four other batsmen got starts.
“I’d rather make a duck each week if it means we get the win,” Burkett said during the week.
“Matt [Burkett] is going quite well and Ben Way at the top of the order is another who is making runs.”
The improvement of Romsey, who struggled last season, has come from within, as the side has stuck with pretty much the same line-up.
Way, who was playing with Premier Cricket club Melbourne, is the only new face.
“We lost a couple of players, with a few kids going to town to test themselves,” Burkett said.
“I did it as a kid and it’s a good thing to do.
“We played a 16-year-old, Daniel Paterson, this week and he deserved his chance.”
Burkett said Romsey would continue to mix it with the top sides.
“Our bowling has been good but our catching has been letting us down,” he said.
“We want to be competitive against the better sides.”
In a confidence boost for the club, Romsey has made the finals of the T20 competition.
“We didn’t play our best cricket but we stuck with it,” Burkett said.
“We were missing a few players and a few guys in the team who aren’t T20 players put their hands up.
“I think we’re in with a rough chance to go further.”
In other McIntyre Cup results, Diggers Rest Bulla defeated Sunbury, Riddell smashed Sunbury United and Gisborne was too good for Bacchus Marsh.
