ATTENTION quickly turns to the high-octane T20 format for all nine SHDCA A Grade teams on Saturday.
The Kookaburra Cup one-day rounds run and won, there will be no time to adjust when the T20 competition’s round 1 and 2 are played as the first of three double-header Saturdays.
Intrigue surrounds newcomers Barham Koondrook and Murrabit, who should be well-versed in the shorter format having played several T20 rounds last season before moving to the SHDCA.
The Raiders, who have an opening-round bye before playing the later round 2 match against Swan Hill, have so far been one of the season’s surprise packets.
They will take form into their fixture, having won their past three Kookaburra Cup matches.
Murrabit will face a baptism of fire, playing both of last year’s grand finalists St Mary’s Tyntynder and Wandella on the first weekend of T20.
It will be the Blues’ first match against the ladder-leading Bulldogs, who loom as the team to beat in the shortest format of the game as well.
St Mary’s Tyntynder not only have recent form, they have been the SHDCA’s dominant T20 side in the five seasons it has been played.
The Bulldogs have played in every T20 grand final so far, winning three, while also winning 25 of their total 29 matches in the competition.
With some of the league’s most explosive and aggressive batsman, including Jonty Chaproniere, Jake Foster and Bailey Codling, it’s little surprise they are hard to beat.
However, that they also back it up with miserly bowling and tight field placements is the real key to their success.
St Mary’s Tyntynder will go into games against Murrabit and RSL as deserved favourites.
The title of reigning premiers belongs to Nyah District, who defeated the Bulldogs in last year’s grand final by 56 runs.
Start their title defence against Swan Hill and Ultima-TUF on Saturday, games they should ordinarily be expected to win given their strong start to the season, the Demons will be without Joel Walsh, Cooper Andrews, Max Thompson, Mitch Grinham and Dean Harrop.
Their absence will leave Nyah District light on for options with both bat and ball, and will give both the Swans and Roodogs a chance of causing an upset.
The other team with big expectations will be Wandella, who have begun playing their best cricket in recent weeks with strong wins over Woorinen and RSL.
It’s no surprise that the Bombers’ rise in form has coincided with the form of Peter Moore, who scored 101 runs and took five wickets in his past two games.
He will also require strong support from the likes of Bohden McKnight, Ryan Barnes and Greg Dickson, while the hard-hitting Daniel Higgs and Kaine O’Connell should also come into their own in the shorter format.
The key match will be between RSL (sixth) and Woorinen (fifth), teams desperately needing the win to stay in touch with the top four.
Woorinen, who have the round 2 bye, were desperately unlucky not to have beaten St Mary’s Tyntynder last Saturday, losing by just one run after losing three wickets from the final four balls.
If they can bring that sort of form again, they should provide RSL with a stern test, despite the Blues being a much tougher opponent on their own home turf.
