As cricketers in the Macleay Valley put their bats down for the Christmas and New Year break, the Rovers will be swinging into the second half of the season with full confidence after their win over Frederickton on the weekend.
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The victory featured an impressive debut for Rovers' young gun Mackenzie Booth who claimed seven wickets in the game.
Macleay Valley Cricket Association president Mark Smee said it was good to see the Rovers shine in the inaugural Two Rivers First Grade Cricket competition following their premiership win in the local competition last year.
"They're a really good side, they were one of the favourites heading into this new competition, so it's been good to see them stand up against some quality sides," he said.
The Rovers are leading the Macleay Valley Cricket teams in the first grade competition, sitting just outside of the top four with South West Rocks slotting in behind them in sixth place.
Nulla are not far behind in seventh place while Frederickton are sitting last place on the ladder.
While Smee admitted that some teams "might prefer to be going a little bit better" in the competition, he's happy with the progression the teams are making with every game.
"This season's been a lot better than the previous seasons which had COVID-19 and weather disruptions," he said. "We've been very lucky to be able to get some consistency with the games and that has really helped the teams moving forward.
"I think all sides are having some issues with their rosters, mainly not being able to get their best players on the field, but it's been a really good sounding board for us as a club to play against the Port sides.
"I think everyone's growing into their roles, the teams might prefer to be going a little bit better, but overall it's been a big step forward for the club and I'm sure there will be some huge improvements in the second half of the competition."
While Smee said he's excited to see how the teams will progress in the second half of the season once they return to their quest for a finals berth, he's also nervous about the possibility of rain disruptions with La Nina looming over the competition.
"We are hoping the weather will hold up in the second half of the competition so we can get a good run into finals," he said. "Late February and early March has been notoriously bad for rainfall in the area.
"I think we've only had one grand final in the last five years, so I'm hoping we get to have an uninterrupted finals series this year."
Smee said the club is also hoping to test out the new cricket facilities more in the second half of the season and develop the junior sides as they work towards fostering a strong future of cricket in the Macleay Valley.
"The new facilities at Verge Street have made the games here so much better," he said. "It's really given us the opportunity to showcase the environment that we're playing in, so we really want to look at using the lights at Verge Street a bit more in the New Year.
"There's a lot to look forward to in the second half of the competition. After a well deserved break, I know the teams will be looking forward to getting back out there and playing some great cricket against quality sides."
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