WODONGA Raiders coach Steve Keene believes his side can move forward with confidence after breaking a 44-match losing streak.
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Sunday’s 28-run victory over New City was the Raiders first since they defeated Belvoir in round 14 in the 2014-15 season.
“It’s good to get the monkey off the back,” Keene said.
“It was the most complete performance we have put in during my time at the club.
“We did all facets of the game well which was promising and didn’t rely on one player.”
After being sent in, Wodonga Raiders put a competitive 7-131 on the board at Birallee Park thanks to handy knocks from Jack Nieuwerth (35), Greg Roberts (28), Tom Bracher (23) and Jesse Griffiths (20).
Nick Bracher then cut loose, taking 5-17 off four overs to hold the Phoenix to 9-103.
“It was good to see the boys rewarded for the effort they have been putting in,” Keene said.
“It was good for them and the supporters who have stuck with the club over the years.
“They got to enjoy the win as much as the players.
“It was a step in the right direction.”
While the Raiders went into the clash as underdogs in the eyes of many, they were unlucky not to win against East Albury the previous day.
The Crows survived a tense finish to chase down the Raiders’ score of 8-87 with just two balls to spare.
“There were some promising signs on Saturday,” he said.
“We probably let ourselves down in one period and that cost us.
“I thought we took a lot out of the East Albury game though.”
Wodonga Raiders will face their toughest test of the season in a one-dayer against rivals Wodonga at Birallee Park on Saturday.
The Bulldogs, along with Lavington, North Albury and East Albury, were the only sides to win both Twenty20 matches at the weekend.
“It will be a good challenge against Wodonga,” Keene said.
“It’s not one we are scared of. We have put the work in and we’ll see how we go.”
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The remaining three Twenty20 rounds will be played on October 27, December 22 and January 12 with the final scheduled for January 27.
CAW chairman Michael Erdeljac said the response had been positive to starting the season with back-to-back matches.
“We were really happy with it,” Erdeljac said.
“While not everyone is a fan of Twenty20 cricket, it gave all the clubs a chance to have a good blow-out and it was pretty well received.
“Most of the games were tight as well.”
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