IT will be David and Goliath when league heavyweights St Mary’s Tyntynder host Swan Hill.
While the Saints juggernaut continues to roll on after claiming the Kookaburra Cup title last Thursday, the Swans are still working on being competitive and keeping themselves off the bottom of the ladder over the final weeks of the home-and-away season.
While on paper this game looks like a mismatch, Swan Hill has a healthy habit of surprising their rivals – having not only beaten them in the McDonald’s T20 competition earlier this season, but also two seasons ago when the two clubs found themselves in eerily similar positions on the ladder.
The home side will be missing star batsman Jack Shannahan, however off-setting his absence will be the return of power hitters Jake Foster and Bailey Codling.
Also returning to the Saints line-up will be Robin Sebastian, who looms as one of the danger men that Swan Hill will have to stop, with his ability to bowl tight overs, along with his lower order hitting, capable of turning any game on its head in a matter of overs.
While the returns of Foster and Codling to the top of the order will squeeze spots in the St Mary’s Tyntynder batting order – one player who deserves to retain his spot is youngster Charlie King, who’s match-winning 64 not out at first drop should be rewarded with another opportunity.
If the Swans are to be any chance at all of causing another upset against the competition yardstick, they have to plan to make 180-plus off the stick.
In order to achieve this, they must throw caution to the wind and make scoring their priority and, in turn, risk getting skittled for a low total.
