By Jonty Ralphsmith
Two crunch top-four clashes headline round seven in the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association Premier competition, the last two-day fixture before Christmas.
Kooweerup will take on Pakenham and Cardinia hosts Tooradin.
Pakenham is undefeated so far this season, but has been challenged by bottom-four teams Clyde, Upper Beaconsfield and Merinda Park.
Only once in a rain-interrupted year has Pakenham passed 200, with the formula to runs much less clear than last season when the Lions were regularly propelled by Chris Smith and Dale Tormey.
Smith has played one big innings this season but otherwise been quiet, so he will be hungry for a big score, while skipper Jack Anning has threatened to play a breakthrough innings on multiple occasions.
The Lions would love to prove they can put a big score on the board before Christmas, and will need plenty of runs at a traditionally high-scoring Kooweerup Recreation Reserve.
The bowling has been similarly solid across the board, with Jordan Seers in particular in strong form.
The player Pakenham will need to stop is Shiran Rathnayake, an all-rounder in his first season at Kooweerup who the Lions have not seen before.
Rathnayake leads the competition run scoring, yet to be dismissed for less than 47 runs in five hits for Kooweerup, including important contributions against strong Cardinia and Tooradin bowling lineups.
He will look to control the tempo of the match, with a strong Demons batting lineup supporting him expertly this season.
The acumen of the Bright brothers is well-established and first drop batter Ayden Mills is coming off a century so could be dangerous, while Zac Davis will be keen to score runs in his new colours.
At Cardinia, the Bulls’ batting lineup against Tooradin’s bowlers will be intriguing viewing.
In opening bowler Tyler Evans and youngster Connor O’Riordan, the Seagulls have the two leading wicket-takers in the competition.
Mick Sweeney then likes to use spin to control the middle overs, with the Seagulls’ round six side containing three front-line tweakers to give the side balance.
Having seen Pakenham successfully deploy the tactic, Sweeney may elect to get a spinner into the attack early against Cardinia opener Alex Nooy, a player who prefers pace on the ball.
The performance of Cardinia’s bats this round will provide the Bulls with a clear storyline about their season.
All batters this season for Cardinia have so far had starts which has made for a spread of contributors in a strong start to the season.
A couple of big knocks against a powerhouse opponent to go with all top seven batters contributing where needed would brighten the view of the early season batting performance.
But if it falters, players’ inability to capitalise across a sustained period could be questioned.
The other two matches pit Clyde against Merinda Park and Devon Meadows against Upper Beaconsfield.
Merinda Park needs some nourishment for its competitiveness – it’s as simple as that.
The Cobras have put themselves in winning positions against three of the top four teams, as well as Clyde, before rain cruelly denied them eight runs away from a certain win against Devon Meadows in round six.
Daniel McCalman is the form batter of the competition, while Ash Slater and Tobias Van Den Heever have shown a diverse skillset with the blade and Campbell Bryan is reliable in the middle order.
McCalman spoke ahead of the season about the increased batting depth at the club, and while that isn’t reflected in the wins column, the Cobras’ mix of patience and assertion has frustrated and challenged sides.
The bowling remains the Achilles heel, Merinda Park lacking an enforcer with the ball, something Clyde captain Trevor Bauer has capitalised on in recent years, scoring a mountain of runs against Merinda Park.
After being similarly competitive to Merinda Park in the early part of the season without reward, the Cougars broke through in round five against Devon Meadows and would almost certainly have beaten Upper Beaconsfield if not for rain on Saturday.
The batting order has stabilised, with the returning Michael Vandort settling in the middle order, and the bowlers are gelling well.
While Merinda Park will be motivated to start the climb off the bottom of the table, Clyde will know that a victory could close it to within a win of the top four.
Devon Meadows, meanwhile, could close to within half a game of the top four if it accounts for Upper Beaconsfield.
The Panthers know they dodged a bullet by nicking six points against Merinda Park, but have generally been in strong form across the past month.
The spinners have been firing and Lucas Ligt has carried the batting lineup with conviction.
It’s the sort of game Devon Meadows simply must bank if it wants to play finals, while for Upper Beaconsfield, they will simply want to get into the contest after a tough baptism into the top flight.
The Maroons have mixed some competitive cricket in with periods of poor cricket, with the players who propelled them to the premiership last season either departed, having minimal involvement or not performing which has put pressure on others.
A victory on the road at a Glover Reserve that suits the Devon Meadows bowling attack would widen the gap between itself and relegation, giving the club time to build itself in the top flight.
