They’re a different animal to other sides, Old Boys are, as evidenced by their sweeping domination. But what makes that so, apart from the obvious: talent and harmony?
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Adam Jones, the Bective East captain, has given his viewpoint on Old Boys, on the eve of day two of their clash at Riverside 1.
Jones once again had a front row seat to Old Boys’ willingness to get their hands a little dirty, let’s say, in pursuit of unsettling batsmen – the banter not untoward, but perhaps more telling than other teams.
His wicket on day one of the clash last Saturday – with Bective’s season probably on the line and Old Boys trying to seal the minor premiership – was greeted with Old Boys howls. It came late in the day, with Old Boys defending 197, and left the Bulls at 4-79. They finished the day at 5-83.
Post-match, Old Boys skipper Ben Middlebrook said his side did not “roll over for anyone”. Jones countered that by saying: “It was disappointing to lose a couple of late wickets last week, but hopefully we don’t roll over.”
Jones has called on talented Bulls teens Lachie Barton and Coby Cornish to “step up” and stare down Old Boys’ gamesmanship on Saturday. Barton will resume on naught, with Cornish likely to come in next.
He said: “It’s time for the likes of Lachie Barton and Coby Cornish to really step up. We only need 110 [115], which is not a lot. Obviously they’ll put a lot of pressure on us, as they do.
“They’re a senior team that puts a lot of pressure on ya the way they talk and the way they are in the field. So we just have to hopefully play our game and not listen to what they say and they do, and focus more on our game and just watching that ball.
“I'm confident in both Lachie and Coby, especially. They’ve got plenty of talent between them, and it’s time they step up and really show what they’re made off. And if they can do that, I’m confident we can knock off the remaining 110 or so to the win the game.”
Jones said Old Boys were led by a “good core of senior blokes that makes the difference”. “And they put pressure on you in the field with their talk. They’re always talking,” he said.
They also continually found a way to win, he said, and extricate themselves from trouble.
He added: “The difference, I see, between our side – it’s a really young side – and a side like Old Boys, who’ve got a lot of senior players, is that they’re always talking to ya, not that I ever listen to what they say. But the young blokes listen to what they say."
