A REBUILDING phase for the Rochester Cricket Club means a lot of young blood for the club going forward.
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It also means a few losses may be on the horizon.
A top score of 71 from Sean Williams and yet another half century from Dylan Cuttriss was not enough against Tongala on Saturday afternoon, as Rochester lost its second game of the Goulburn Murray Cricket season.
Rochester fell to a 1-2 record, and have found themselves in the rare position of not sitting in the competition's top four after Tongala chased down their 182 run target with three wickets in hand and an over to spare.
Rochester captain Sean Williams said that while his side was unable to win the game, there were many positives to take out of the contest.
“We've been lucky to have had the kind of success we've seen in the past few years,” he said.
“We had a great group of guys, but a lot of them have now moved on. Where we are lucky is we have an excellent group of younger guys coming through as well, so we are excited for them to get the time in the middle and the opportunity to adjust to play at A grade level.
“Obviously that is going to take some time, but we are really impressed with what we are seeing so far. With this young group, we managed to fall just short. You obviously want to win, but I'm really happy with their effort and the result. It shows us all as a club that we are on the right track.
“We will be rebuilding for a few years, but they are good early signs about what we are capable of.”
With experienced hands like Williams, Cuttriss and Myles Wade making strong contributions, the team has the leadership to continue to grow.
“It's important to have guys around the team who are able to make those contributions,” he said.
“We have a number of guys who can lead on the field, they continue to perform and that releases a bit of pressure.”
Saturday brings a big moment in the season, as Rochester faces off with Kyabram Fore Brigade in the grand final rematch.