NYAH DISTRICT v ST MARY’S TYNTYNDER
ST Mary’s Tyntynder will be hoping lightning doesn’t strike twice in eight days when they begin their McDonald’s T20 campaign against Nyah District at the Swan Hill Showgrounds on Saturday.
The Bulldogs had no answer last Saturday for Demons young gun Charlie Boulton, the all-rounder following his quickfire 88 off just 81 deliveries with a five-wicket haul in a commanding performance.
With a week to analyse that loss, St Mary’s Tyntynder will be desperate to atone in a rematch of last year’s McDonald’s T20 decider.
The shortest format is the one that best suited the Bulldogs last season, with Nathaniel Holmes-Brown and his team hoping that a return to the format which saw them finish as premiers will also see them return to their best form.
Currently sitting at the bottom of the A Grade ladder with one win from their first six matches, this season hasn’t gone to plan for St Mary’s Tyntynder, who despite their slow start, still possess some of the most dangerous and powerful players in the league on their day.
With the bat, Jake Foster, Aydan Symons and the returning Bailey Codling are made to dominate T20 cricket, while Holmes-Brown, Robin Sebastian and Austin Mckerrow are capable of both tying down an end and taking multiple wickets with the ball.
They will, however, face an in-form Nyah District, who booked their place in the Kookaburra Cup one-day grand final and sit atop of the ladder.
It will be the first of two games for the afternoon for the Demons, who also possess plenty of firepower with the bat right throughout their line-up.
Although Boulton found form last Saturday, Mitchell Grinham has been the big find for Nyah District, with the opener having scored 266 runs an average of 53.2 from his first six games.
The biggest threat could well come from Joel Walsh and Dean Harrop, who are both capable of finding the boundary, with Harrop potentially moving back up to open the batting and reprise the role he so successfully played during last year’s T20 competition.
WANDELLA v BARHAM KOONDROOK
FORMER Northern District rivals Wandella and Barham Koondrook will revive their rivalry on unfamiliar territory at Gurnett Oval.
Both the Bombers and Raiders will be looking for redemption in the shorter format after missing out on a spot in the Kookaburra Cup grand final, with both clubs also spending last Saturday on the sidelines.
Although Barham Koondrook had the bye, Wandella missed out on some much-needed time in the middle after their game against Ultima TUF was abandoned due to wet weather.
With each team playing just two games for the tournament, neither team can afford a loss, especially with potentially difficult matches awaiting them next Saturday.
While the Raiders have been the better-performed team this season, the T20 format better suits the Bombers, who were somewhat unlucky to miss out on finishing in the top two last year.
Wandella have several players who can blast a quickfire 30, which is all that is needed sometimes to change the momentum of an innings and turn a game on its head.
Peter Moore is a class bat that can score his runs quickly, as evidenced by his innings against Woorinen earlier this season.
As dangerous as Moore can be, he will hold no fears for Barham Koondrook, who dismissed him without scoring a fortnight ago in Wandella’s five-wicket win.
The biggest difference between that encounter a fortnight ago and on Saturday will be the presence of the Lolicato brothers Warren and Garry.
Both will be key players for the Raiders, who will be relying upon Warren to keep the scoreboard ticking along as one of the few genuinely powerful batters at his team’s disposal.
NYAH DISTRICT v ULTIMA TUF
NYAH District will suit up for their second match of the day when they play a much-improved Ultima TUF at the Showgrounds.
Playing two games in one day will have its disadvantages for the Demons, with the Roodogs sure to be fitter and fresher, but one advantage Nyah District will have is their ability to adjust to the generally batter friendly conditions that the Showgrounds surface provides.
Regardless of how the Demons fare in their first game against St Mary’s Tyntynder, the battle between Ultima TUF’s batters and Nyah District’s bowlers promises to be a key factor in the result.
The Roodogs have shown glimpses of their prodigious talent with the bat at times, with their line-up one of the most threatening in the league on paper with players such as Mitch Seton-Stewart, Kane Benfield, Lachlan Edwards, Jacob Hatcher, Charlie Kingwill and Josh Waldron at their disposal.
They will have to contend with an equally strong Nyah District bowling attack, however, with the Demons unveiling recruit Nash Richman last weekend.
Richman will join an already talented attack that contains Joel Walsh, Ben Shadbolt, Ethan Curran and Cooper Andrews, with the quintet combining to bowl St Mary’s Tyntynder out for 122 in the 32nd over last Saturday.
The challenge for the Demons bowlers will be in replicating that form against a young and brash batting line-up that will be suited by the smash and bash brand of cricket that T20 brings.
RSL v WOORINEN
MUCH like St Mary’s Tyntynder, RSL will be desperate to make amends for last Saturday’s poor showing when they play Woorinen for the second time in a week on Saturday.
The Tigers proved far to good for the Blues after passing RSL’s meagre total just two wickets down and with 23 overs left to bowl, with that win sending Woorinen through to the Kookaburra Cup grand final at the Blues’ expense.
Being bowled out for just 98 in a must-win game will be certain to have the home side fired up, as will the potential return of Ryan Hinton to the top of the batting order, who missed last Saturday.
That Woorinen passed RSL’s score just two wickets down will have ensured a rethink among the Blues playing group, with an improvement in their performance with both bat and ball the first key element needing to be addressed.
The Tigers were barely required to use their main weapons with the bat, with Cooper Fox not batting, along with in-form veteran Dean Morpeth, while reigning league best & fairest Darren Rushton scored 10 not out in a run a ball cameo at the end.
If RSL are to reverse last Saturday’s result, they must make early inroads with the new ball and take regular wickets, as if Woorinen are able to settle into a rhythm with the bat, their star hitters and aggressive batting could rip the game away from the Blues very quickly.
The bulk of that heavy lifting will need to come from Brenton and Pat Caldwell, as well as captain Oscar Hier, who took seven wickets throughout last year’s McDonald’s T20 competition to be among the leading wicket takers.
