THE Swan Hill & District Cricket Association season finally gets away tomorrow afternoon, with the opening round of the McDonalds T20 Competition.
With all three games set to be played at the Swan Hill Recreation Reserve, it’s sure to be a fast paced, explosive start to a highly anticipated summer of cricket.
BEVERFORD TAVERN DEMONS v STIHL SHOP ROODOGS @ 12.30pm
THE opening game of the season will pit the up-and-coming Stihl Shop Roodogs against a youthful Beverford Tavern Demons.
Both clubs will be under new leadership, with Ben Shadbolt taking the reins at the Demons and Kade Benfield leading the Roodogs for season 2021-22.
Despite finishing last season in the Grand Final, the Demons head into the new year with one of the youngest sides in the competition.
The loss of Joel Walsh in the off-season will weigh heavily on the Beverford Tavern boys – and a number of their younger players will now be expected to step up in his absence with both bat and ball.
Drew Lloyd and Charlie Boulton will be two such players, but if the Demons are to open their season with a win, then hard-hitting batsman Dean Harrop will have to hit the scoreboard in a big way.
For the Roodogs, there’s an air of expectancy that surrounds them ahead of the new season, especially with a few big inclusions to their line-up.
Big name recruit Ben Shepherd should open the batting – and will be a very dangerous proposition in this short format of the game, as will their skipper Benfield.
The deciding factor in this game could well be which team is able to restrict their opposition with the ball – and for that, it’s hard to go past the more experienced Demon’s attack.
Tip – Beverford Tavern Demons to win.
WDEA WORKS SAINTS v PHONES R US BLUES @ 4pm
IN what shapes as perhaps the most competitive game for the weekend, last seasons McDonalds T20 Runner’s-Up, the WDEA Works Saints, will play host to the Phones R Us Blues.
Both teams possess very even batting line-ups and have match winning bowlers at their disposal – and it may be the team that hits the ground running in their first competitive game for six months that gets the crucial six points.
The Saints batting attack is full of aggressive stroke players, with Jared Halligan, Jack Shannahan and new recruit Bailey Codling all capable of winning a game off their own bat.
The Blues aren’t without their own dominant batsmen, but much will be expected of Stuart Patterson and skipper Ryan Hinton – and their ability to hit the scoreboard quickly.
The Phones R Us Blues bowling attack is perfectly suited to the T20 style of cricket, with the Caldwell brothers both very adept at tying down an end and restricting their opposition’s ability to score.
The WDEA Works Saints outfit on the other hand are more of an aggressive bowling line-up – and while that can lead to multiple wickets, it can also at times leak runs.
With that said, Nathaniel Holmes-Brown, Corey Daniels and Matt Barnes are among the best bowlers in the association and are hard to score against at any time.
In what will no doubt be a highly entertaining game – and a potential Grand Final preview – the winner could well be decided by the toss of the coin, such is the evenness between both sides.
Tip – Phones R Us Blues in a nail biter.
PIZZA KITCHEN TIGERS v AUTOPRO BOMBERS @ 7pm
THE Autobarn Bombers will make their McDonalds T20 debut under lights against the reigning premiers, the Pizza Kitchen Tigers tomorrow evening.
There are a lot of unknowns about the Bombers, but what is a certainty is that they’ll face a tough test first up against the Tigers.
The Pizza Kitchen side’s strength will be their bowling attack, with Guri Singh and Robert Rush set to lead the attack, with back up from Stefan Mangiameli and Glenn Violi to help tie down at the other end.
The Autobarn Bombers possess a number of aggressive batsmen however and they will be looking to make an immediate impression in their debut game in the association.
Brodey Farley and Marty McDonald are two big hitters who love to clear the ropes – and if the Tigers allow them to get off to a flyer, they could well be chasing a big score.
The Yellow and Black boys have a few aggressive batsmen of their own in Jason Mangiameli and Cooper Fox, but much of their scoring capacity may rest on the shoulders of club stalwart Dean Morpeth and whether or not he is available.
While the Bombers will be desperate to make a statement in their opening match, expect the Tigers to spoil the party.
Tip – Pizza Kitchen Tigers to get their premiership defence off to a winning start.
