By David Nagel
Taking care of Tooradin’s imposing top order will be the number-one priority for Cardinia when the Bulls make the short trip to the home of the ladder-leaders for their one-day clash on Saturday.
There’s no rocket-science associated with that little pearl of wisdom – that’s what every team should be focused on – but it’s particularly important against the Seagulls.
Cal O’Hare (446 runs), Josh Lownds (368) and skipper Mick Sweeney (242) have plundered opposition attacks this season, but the Gulls are the only team in Premier Division to have only three players to make it to 100 runs.
Clyde, Devon Meadows and Upper Beaconsfield have the next fewest number with five; it’s an anomaly of a statistic that’s hard to get your head around really!
The Bulls need to get O’Hare early or they will suffer the consequences.
O’Hare has made two centuries on his home deck in his last six visits to the middle.
He made a match-winning and memorable 101 not out in the Premier Division grand final against Pakenham in March, and backed that up with a magnificent 113 not out against Kooweerup last week.
His long-time rival and champion opening batter, Kooweerup’s Chris O’Hara, believes O’Hare is in career-best form after witnessing his hitting first hand.
That’s a big call; but one that’s hard to argue against right now.
He has made 173 runs since Christmas without dismissal.
But there is a glimmer of hope for the Bulls; but they need to get him early.
Yes, O’Hare has dominated with two centuries in six hits at Tooradin, but he has also made scores of 2, 1, 1 and 2 from four of his last nine outings on his home deck.
If Trishane De Silva, Yohan Arumadura, Josh Grogan or Josh Browne can get the big fella early; the Bulls are right in this one up to their ears.
Lownds; well he’s a different story!
After a slow start to the season the laconic lefty has been the epitome of consistency since round four.
His last seven hits read 54, 65 not out, 40, 35 not out, 44 not out, 39 and 48; which adds up to 325 runs at an average of 81.
The Bulls also have some talent that can run away with big games, with Alex Nooy and Matt Welsh in terrific form of late.
Nooy dominated the early exchanges against the Lions, before Welsh put his stamp on proceedings late.
Batting first, the Bulls were 4/139 after 32; but ended with 4/224 after making 85 runs from their last eight overs.
The Seagulls are the masters of applying pressure, with Sweeney a genius at setting fields, but Welsh could cause some carnage on the short-straight hits at Tooradin.
This is another great test for two clubs that currently sit first and second on the ladder.
The Bulls were embarrassed by the Seagulls in round seven; being rolled for an even 100 with Tyler Evans leading the way with four wickets and Dylan Sutton, Bailey Lownds and Connor O’Riordan all chiming in with two.
The Bulls will be far more competitive this time around; but it’s the Seagulls to get the choccies and basically guarantee themselves a home semi-final in March.
There’s too much to play for; it’s the Seagulls to win convincingly.
PAKENHAM V KOOWEERUP
It’s a rare occurrence when Pakenham and Kooweerup line up against each other on the rebound; but that will be the case when the Lions welcome the Demons to Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
The Lions were blown away by the ‘one-two sucker-punch’ of Alex Nooy and Matt Welsh at Cardinia last week, while the Demons were no match for a Cal O’Hare-inspired Tooradin outfit that hasn’t tasted defeat since round four.
The Lions had their excuses last week.
Champion opener Chris Smith was absent, attending a wedding, while their leading wicket-taker Jordan Seers was also missing through a lower back complaint.
Throw in the ongoing absence of mid-order leader Zac Chaplin, and you can begin to understand why the Lions fell short; making it two losses from their last three after being undefeated after round seven.
The Demons slide has flown a little more under the radar; with just two wins now since they defeated Merinda Park in round four.
Make no mistake; these two perennial finalists are under the pump right now!
The Lions are struggling to penetrate with the ball, leaving skipper Jack Anning with the inability to apply pressure through the wicket-taking exploits of his bowlers.
Jason Williams has been a star for the Lions for the better part of two-decades, and Anning will be relying on his great mate to lead the way on the weekend with an off-spinning masterclass.
Seers (17 wickets), Williams (13) and Tom Tyrrell (12) are the only Lions to have taken 10 or more wickets this season, and Anning will be hopeful that he has a full-complement of his top three against the Demons.
Dom Paynter has been in exquisite touch with the bat for the Lions, while Nick Sadler and Stuart Johnson are always capable of some valuable lower-order runs.
Kooweerup is also unsettled at the moment, with Paul Bright making a solid start to the season – but now unavailable through work commitments – while Nathan Voss is another to have not played Premier since the Christmas break.
This is a really unusual situation that the Demons find themselves in.
Lose this and the Demons will more than likely be a game and percentage outside the top four with just three rounds remaining in the season.
Upcoming games against Clyde, Upper Beaconsfield and Devon Meadows won’t frighten the Demons in the run home, but life could be difficult if things don’t go to plan on the weekend.
Rumour has it the Demons will be massively under-strength for the test against Clyde; putting extra emphasis on this result.
The form of both teams has been rocky, but both still possess the talent to have a red-hot crack at this year’s flag.
Kooweerup’s bowling attack looks slightly stronger than the Lions; so we’ll go for the Demons to get the job done in a close one.
MERINDA PARK V CLYDE
Merinda Park will need to produce something special to smash down the confidence levels of Clyde when the Cobras welcome the Cougars to Tony Way Reserve on Saturday.
If Cougars could fly, Clyde would be doing so right now after making it five-consecutive wins against Upper Beaconsfield last week.
The key to their hot run of form has been the ability of one batter to make a match-winning score, with three or four others batting strongly around him.
In round four it was Michael Vandort (120) who starred; with Trevor Bauer (116) the gun in round five, before Praveen Perera (107) delivered the goods in round seven.
Teddy Fonseka (113) then put up his hand in round nine, before Perera (95) repeated a dose of the ‘magic-formula’ against an improved Maroons’ outfit last week.
The problem for the Cobras this week is they lack penetration with the ball.
Matt Dennerley and Tyson Bertrand are honest toilers with a white pill in hand, while skipper Mat Campbell has been good of late; taking two wickets in each of his last three matches.
But will that will be enough against the likes of Bauer, Vandort, Perera, Fonseka and the dangerous Kane Avard?…the answer is probably not.
They got the formula right last week did the Cobras, with Tobias Van den heever (35), Cambell Bryan (29) and Hayden Cleland (22) batting around the class of Ash Slater (121), but it still wasn’t enough to crack that first win of the season.
The Cobras will once again battle hard, but it’s the Cougars to cement their place in the top four with a hard-fought victory in a high-scoring game of cricket.
UPPER BEACONSFIELD V DEVON MEADOWS
Devon Meadows will look to put back-to-back wins on the board for the first time this season when the Panthers claw their way up Stoney Creek Road to take on Upper Beaconsfield.
Quite remarkably, given their inconsistency this season, the Panthers could be hot on the heels of the top four if results fall their way on the weekend.
A tough draw (Cardinia, Pakenham and Kooweerup) will likely find them out over the last three games of the season, but it would be nice to at least be heading into those last three encounters with hope still burning bright.
Skipper Lucas Ligt has not been at his brilliant best this season, but some crisp driving against Merinda Park last week gave a positive sign of things to come.
Ligt lost the steadying influence of his opening partner Will Halton in the pre-season, with those two forming a formidable combination; first in a District premiership and then a strong first year in Premier.
But now, in Nathan Kleinig, Ligt has new ally to rely on.
Kleinig has been in sensational form of late, with back-to-back seventies since Christmas following up some consistent runs before the break.
Crack Ligt and Kleinig, and avoid some late runs from Chris Cleef, and the Maroons will fancy their chances of claiming their first win since round two.
The Maroons just need someone to get a start and go on with it; with that being the clear obvious weakness in their batting this season.
Will Haines, Nick Pastras, Aidan Whitfield, Corey Joyce and Josh Westra have all made consistent starts; but then go out when set.
Ligt, Kleinig or Cleef will show them how it’s done this week and lead the Panthers to victory.
