ST Mary’s Tyntynder will go for back-to-back Kookaburra Cup wins this morning, when they play their second final against Nyah District in just two games.
Two weeks after their clash in the Swan Hill District Cricket Association’s T20 competition decider, the two sides will meet in the 40-over final from 11am.
The Demons, who had a dominant victory over RSL last round, will be out for revenge after the Bulldogs’ batsmen took on their bowlers in the shorter format.
But St Mary’s will enter the day with a fresh squad after a bye last week.
With a perfect sunny morning forecast for Swan Hill, the opportunity to play cricket on Australia Day isn’t lost on St Mary’s skipper Nathaniel Holmes-Brown.
“It’s a pretty cool thing,” he said.
“We obviously only ever get to play cricket on a Saturday, so it’s a great occasion and a really good opportunity to play cricket on Friday.
“With the game being on Australia Day, that makes it even better.
“We know Nyah very well, and the two sides had some pretty amazing matches with those guys over the recent years.
“It’s always ideal when you get the chance to go up against your strongest competitors, it gives you a really good indication of where your side is.”
Holmes-Brown said his batsmen had been the difference-makers in the previous final, but he was looking to his all-rounders to stand up today.
“In a game like this, and with our side being pretty even with both bat and ball, having some of the all-rounders stand up can be huge,” he said.
“We’ve got a heap of blokes who can put in a shift with bat and ball.
“When it comes to grand finals, it can really go either way.
“All it takes is a side to show up and give that extra 10 per cent, and that could be what makes the difference.”The two sides have been the clear contenders throughout this season, each having ample weapons with bat and ball.
The Demons have had the upper hand on the Bulldogs in home-and-away fixtures, but St Mary’s have turned up the class when it matters most.
Demons captain Ben Shadbolt said his side were keen to avenge the T20 loss.
“We just missed our lengths as bowlers in the final,” he said.
“I think our side batted really well, but to chase 180 is a very difficult ask, everything has to go right for you.
“We just need to find some consistency with the ball. I think even last week we might’ve got a bit lucky really.
“As a bowling group, we know that a few of us missed our lengths and needed to work on that.
“All we need to do to win the Kookaburra Cup is find and stick to a length that makes it difficult to score from.
“It’s up to us to force the St Mary’s bats into a rash decision.”
Shadbolt said regular-season results had shown that his side were more than capable of getting the job done.
“We know that we can beat them, and we just can’t be intimidated by their good bats,” he said.
“We just need to stay confident, stick to our plan and hopefully that will bring us rewards.
“Nyah District haven’t featured in a Kookaburra Cup in a while, but we had a seriously good period around 2010.
“I think we won seven or eight Kookaburra Cups, so it would be great to get another one up on the board.”
