ROUND 4. WDEA WORKS SAINTS v BEVERFORD TAVERN DEMONS 12.30pm @ Ken Harrison Reserve
THE WDEA Works Saints will be hoping to remain undefeated when they host the Beverford Tavern Demons tomorrow afternoon.
With two wins from their opening two games, the Saints find themselves on top of the ladder and having already had the bye, are in prime position to claim one of the Grand Final berths on offer.
The Demons on the other hand find themselves precariously placed, with just one win from their opening three games.
The biggest concern for Ben Shadbolt after the first three rounds of the season would be his team’s inability to put runs on the board.
The Beverford Tavern Demons were restricted to just 67 runs against the Bombers, before struggling to chase down the Tigers meagre 78 run total in the last Saturday.
If they are to be any chance of toppling the Saints, they must find bigger contributions with the bat from their top and middle order.
That will be easier said than done though, with the WDEA Works Saints bowling attack looking very settled and hard to score off in their wins over the Blues and Tigers.
Although wickets were hard to come by in both games, they bowled a very tight line and length and made scoring difficult for their opposition – with youngster Charlie King leading the way, going for just 25 runs off 48 balls last weekend.
With the Demons focusing on youth – and the Saints in the frame for silver wear – expect this contest to be a one-sided affair.
Tip – WDEA Works Saints to win comfortably.
AUTOPRO BOMBERS v STIHL SHOP ROODOGS12.30pm @ Riverside Park, Kerang
THE Autopro Bombers will return to familiar surroundings this weekend, hosting the Stihl Shop Roodogs in the first of two games at Riverside Park.
The Bombers would have entered the competition with plans of making a statement last week, but instead ended it with their tail between their legs, coming away with just one win from their three games and as a result, now find themselves on the bottom of the ladder.
The Roodogs on the other hand find themselves at the other end of the spectrum, with two strong wins from as many games and are one of only two undefeated sides remaining.
Their win against the highly fancied Blues last Saturday would have given them great self-belief that after years of showing small signs of improvement, they might finally be ready to take that big step up to playing finals cricket.
Like the Demons, the Autopro Bombers need more with the bat from their top order.
Toby Gray, Daniel Higgs and Marty McDonald all failed to impact the scoreboard in a meaningful way last weekend – and with the Roodogs coming off two strong performances with the bat, this could be where this game is won and lost.
Ryan Barnes and Bohden McKnight look like handy types with the ball, as does off-spinner Daniel Higgs, but if they are to claim the six points tomorrow, it will need to be their batsmen that get the job done.
Based on last week’s efforts, it would need to be a seismic shift in form for that to occur.
Tip – The Stihl Shop Roodogs to continue their perfect start to 2021-22.
PIZZA KITCHEN TIGERS v TYRELL CRICKET SWANS 12.30pm @ Woorinen Recreation Reserve
PRIOR to last weekend, most pundits would have considered this game to be a walk in the park for the Pizza Kitchen Tigers – fast forward seven days and the landscape now looks vastly different.
The Tigers started their premiership defence with a slight hangover, losing to the Saints and Demons last Saturday, after having previously accounted for the Bombers in the opening game of the competition.
The Tyrell Cricket Swans also had a varied first weekend of the season, having been belted by the Blues to the tune of 83 runs in their first game, before turning the tables on the Bombers in the second match and claiming a 25-run win to kick start their season.
The Tigers would have been extremely disappointed in their efforts with the bat last Saturday, having firstly been restricted to just 83 in what was a winnable run chase, before being bowled out for just 78 against the Demons.
While their bowling attack appears to have settled quickly into their stride, they simply must put more runs on the board to give the likes of Robert Rush, Guri Singh and Stefan Mangiameli something to defend.
The Swans on the other hand would have taken a lot of confidence from their win over the Bombers and will be hoping to carry that through to tomorrow.
Cal Noonan has slotted seamlessly into the role of captain and immediately found form with both bat and ball.
If he can get similar contributions from Sebastian Linssen, Lachie Edwards and the evergreen Alan Hatcher, another upset could well be on the cards.
Despite last week’s disappointing start to their season, the Tigers should have too much class for the Swans, especially on their own turf, which they play so well.
Tip – Pizza Kitchen Tigers to get back on the winners list.
ROUND 5
AUTOPRO BOMBERS v PHONES R US BLUES 4.00pm @ Riverside Park, Kerang
THE Phones R Us Blues will be desperate to keep their McDonald’s T20 Grand Final hopes alive when they travel to Kerang to face the Autopro Bombers in the first of tomorrow’s late games.
The Blues find themselves precariously placed ahead – as do the Bombers – with just one win from their first three matches. Another loss, for either side, and their hopes of qualifying for the decider will go up in smoke.
The positive for the Phones R Us Blues is that their performance in the both losses weren’t too bad.
They encountered a rampaging Saints outfit in the opening game – and were unable to defend an extremely competitive total of 150 against the Roodogs, with that game going right down to the final ball of the match.
The Blues major strength is clearly their ability to score – and score quickly – and with Ryan Hinton (122 runs @ 61.00) and Brenton Caldwell (120 runs @ 120.00) both starting the competition in sensational form, the Autopro Bombers bowling attack will need to be at their best in order to restrict the Blues to a gettable target.
While the Bombers will be a much tougher opponent at home, the Blues will come out with fresh legs – having had the bye in the earlier game – and the determination of knowing that a loss will end their T20 tournament.
Tip – Phones R Us Blues to post another big score – and defend it.
WDEA WORKS SAINTS v TYRELL CRICKET SWANS4.00pm @ Ken Harrison Reserve
DESPITE the Ken Harrison Reserve being the scene of their win over the Bombers last Saturday, the Tyrell Cricket Swans will face a much tougher challenge when they meet the WDEA Works Saints tomorrow afternoon.
Last week’s win over the Bombers would have filled the Swans with plenty of confidence, but whether those confidence levels are still high when they face off against the Saints may well depend on the result of their earlier game against the Tigers.
For the WDEA Works Saints, both this game and their match against the Demons are very winnable encounters – and if all goes to script, they could well be one step closer to yet another T20 Grand Final berth.
The Saints have plenty of game breakers with both bat and ball and aren’t reliant on any one player to do the job each week.
The Swans on the other hand, rely heavily on Cal Noonan, Lachie Edwards and Al Hatcher to perform with the bat and Noonan, Sebastian Linssen and Andrew Clark to get the job done with the ball.
In what looms as a battle between David and Goliath, it’s impossible to tip against the Saints – especially if they carry their form through from the first three rounds.
Tip – WDEA Works Saints to beat the Swans.
PIZZA KITCHEN TIGERS v STIHL SHOP ROODOGS 4.30pm @ Woorinen Recreation Reserve
After playing the first game of the day in Kerang, the Stihl Shop Roodogs will have to jump in their chariots and high tail it all the way to Woorinen, where they will face off against the Pizza Kitchen Tigers in tomorrow’s evening game.
Both teams will likely have everything to play for, providing their earlier games go according to plan. After losing two of their first three matches, the Tigers have no room for error if they want to defend last year’s T20 title.
This match shapes as a danger game for the reigning premiers, with the Roodogs showing considerable improvement last week in beating the Blues – and if the Tigers are going to stay in the hunt, they will need a lot more from their top order than they showed last week.
You won’t win many games if you don’t post at least triple figures – and in both games last Saturday, the Tigers failed to break the 100-run barrier.
That hasn’t been an issue for the Roodogs, who have scored 125 batting first and were also able to chase down 150 from their two games thus far.
With very little separating both sides, it could well come down to the toss of the coin – and who gets to bat in the more favourable conditions.
Tip – The Pizza Kitchen Tigers to keep their finals hopes alive.
