Orange batted first and it didn’t look good early.

After 17 overs the home side, winless from their first five representative matches of the season, was 7-46 with Cowra’s quicks Joe Kershaw (3-25) and Brendan Traves (4-22) proving more than a handful on the lively Wade Park pitch.

Orange skipper Dave Boundy (32) and youngster Liam Gough (15) dug in with the bat to save Orange to some degree, helping them to 104 before being bowled out in the 30th over.

From there, it was over to Orange’s bowlers.

And they didn’t disappoint.

Gough and James Conn, both Western Zone colts this season, were the pick of the Orange bowlers, taking 3-18 and 3-15 respectively, while veteran quick Mark Wiegold collected 2-24 from his eight overs.

Cowra were dismissed for 103 with No.5 batsman Scott Gray left stranded on 34 not out.

The win saved Orange, the 2010-11 Western Zone SCG Country Cup champions, the embarrassing milestone of going from the region’s best cricket outfit to Western Zone flops in the space of 12 months.

Brad Turner (16) and Peter Guthrie (31) were the only other batsman, outside of Gray, to reach double figures.

Joe Kershaw was the best of the bowlers taking three for 25.

Western Zone Premier League

Cowra v’s Orange at Wade Park, Orange

The toss was won by Cowra who elected to field and the match was won by Orange by one run.

Orange

M Finlay c C Day b J Kershaw 0

J Warring c and b N Guthrie 10

N Dunlop c C Day b J Kershaw 2

N Rosser c C Day b J Kershaw 6

L Clarke c C Crook b P Simpson 20

J Conn c C Crook b B Traves 2

N Wright c B Turner b B Traves 4

D Boundy c T Penuconda b B Traves 32

L Gough c D Henderson b B Traves 15

J Ryan b B Turner 4

M Wiegold not out 5

Sundries 4

TOTAL 104

BOWLING: J Kershaw 3-25; N Guthrie 1-15; BTraves 4-22; P Simpson 1-23; B turner 1-16.

Cowra

B Turner b M Wiegold 16

P Simpson c J Ryan b L Gough 6

P Guthrie c N Rosser b J Conn 31

A Schaefer c L Clarke b M Wiegold 6

S Gray not out 34

C Day LBW b J Conn 0

J Kershaw LBW b J Ryan 0

D Henderson c J Ryan b J Conn 7

C Crook c J Warring b L Gough 0

B Traves b L Gough 0

N Guthrie b M Roberts 0

Sundries 4

TOTAL 103

BOWLING: M Roberts 1-17; L Gough 3-18; D Boundy 0-7; M Wiegold 2-24; J Ryan 1-19; J Conn 3-15.