One win away from season decider

PREVIEW: District cricket enters preliminary finals weekend with participating teams only one win away from reaching the season decider.

TRIGGS SHIELD (A GRADE)   BOWNING v ROYAL PIRATES

Following a comfortable 7 wicket victory over Bowning, minor premiers Yass Golf Club are safely through to the grand final.  Golf Club is a strong, focussed outfit and won’t mind missing a week’s cricket. They can enjoy the week off which will allow some of their elder statesmen to refresh for the big match.

The preliminary final is a replay of last year’s match with the Bowning Buffaloes taking on Royal Pirates. In that match Bowning struggled through to a total of 84 with Jamie Apps scoring what ended up being a match-winning 26 and lower order batsman Craig Puniard making an extremely valuable 18. In response, Royal looked to be in control at 4/50 before the loss of Nick Pollack for 21 saw the Pirates disintegrate to be all out for 64.  It was Bowning captain Andrew Swaffield’s spin that did the damage.

Golf Club playing Bowning in A Grade, with Daniel Poidevan batting this shot for 4.

Bowning offered little resistance to Golf Club in last week’s semi and will be smarting from the loss. This week they need to keep their emotions in check and focus on batting their full allotment of overs. They fell to 6/21 last week which made it virtually impossible to recover and post a decent score. In the Royal Pirates they face a similar attack that gives very little away and is supported by very good fielders. The Buffaloes felt Beau Walker’s absence last week and a positive result for them depends on his availability.

The Pirates will have last year’s preliminary final loss in the back of their minds but will know from last week’s win over the Yass Soldiers Club they are more than capable of playing next week.  Generally they have a relaxed attitude to their cricket but when they focus they are an extremely good cricket side. It’s focus time. Representative players Adam Forth and Nick Pollack stood up again last week and only need a couple of batsman to hang in there with them for a good total to be scored.  Once they have the score bowlers Andrew Holgate, Tom Parr, Alex Waters and Shaun Davis will do the rest.

As simple as it is, the toss could be crucial in this match. Both sides can be a bit nervy, so batting and posting a defendable score will put a lot of pressure on the team batting second.

During the regular season Bowning convincingly won the first clash while Pirates narrowly won the second.

The Pirates have learned from last year and they won’t have to pack away their white just yet.

Daniel Poidevan bats in the Golf Club versus Bowning A Grade match last weekend.

SWEENEY CUP (B GRADE) GUNDAROO v HARDEN    

In the major semi-final Murrumbateman showed plenty of tenacity and good attitude to dig deep on their home patch to score an upset win over Gundaroo. They can be well satisfied in booking their spot in the grand final.

Gundaroo showed great sportsmanship in last week’s loss, recalling Murrumbateman batsman James Gray following confusion over a run out from a no ball. The decision did have some influence on the game with Gray scoring a match-winning 65.  But what the decision did do is unsettle Gundaroo and they lost focus, they’ll need to reset and concentrate on this match. They’ll have comfort in knowing Anthony Mortimer is in form with both bat and ball and they won’t have to contend with the brutal fire power they encountered last week from Gray and Andrew Clarke.

Harden meanwhile will be ecstatic they’re still alive and only one win away from the big show. Despite some ordinary form over the last five rounds they managed to turn the tables on the Yass Golf Club last week.  The win will give them confidence and Will Mainwaring, Jeffrey and Luke Brown know if they bowl good lines it will force Gundaroo to manufacture shots, a tactic Murrumbateman deployed successfully last week. Then it’s over to the batting which has often been brittle, a move up the order by Kelvin Brown may provide some solidity to those around him.

Honours are split at 1 win each between these two sides albeit Harden’s win in November was against a side missing a few of the players they’ll face on Saturday.

Harden needs to keep in the back of their minds Gundaroo don’t wear the favourites tag that well, as was shown last week and also in last year’s grand final loss to the Soldiers Club.  What Gundaroo do have though is a good cricket side and they should get the chance to redeem themselves next week in the decider.

Golf Club playing Bowning in the weekend’s A Grade match, Andrew Swaffield bowling.

YASS SOLDIERS CLUB SHIELD (C CRADE) YASS GOLF CLUB v BOOROWA

Yass Soldiers Club had little difficulty disposing of the Yass Golf Club in the major semi and can put their feet up this week knowing they’re firm favourites for the title.

Yass Golf Club gets the chance to redeem themselves this week after what would’ve been a confidence shattering loss against Soldiers Club. The ‘nice guys’ of the competition will need to adjust their approach to batting and shift their focus to occupying the crease and valuing their wickets. Should they do that and bat for 40 overs they have the batting resources through Liam McKenzie, Mark Hotly, Tom Roche and Borin Yous to post a decent total. Failing that, they’ll give their bowlers little opportunity to defend a score. They can reflect on round 3 where they scored 223 from 38 overs in their washed out game against Boorowa.

Boorowa will be cock-a-hoop with reaching the preliminary final in their first season of fielding a lower grade side.  They have steadily improved throughout the season and won’t hold any fears about their opposition as they showed last week when they dispatched defending premiers Binalong. Anthony McMahon and Mick Elkins show no sign of tapering form and will be again be Boorowa’s danger men.

Meeting twice during the season Boorowa have the advantage with a comfortable win while the other match was a washout. Boorowa have momentum on their side and that should continue at least for another week.

The Golf Club bowls during the B Grade game in Harden, with Greg Brown.

THIS WEEK’S PRELIMINARY FINALS (all games commence at 12.30pm)

TRIGGS SHIELD A GRADE

BOWNING V ROYAL PIRATES @ Victoria Park, Yass

(Umpires Steve Poidevin & Dave O’Brien)

SWEENEY CUP B GRADE

GUNDAROO V HARDEN @ O’Connor Park, Yass

(Umpires Paul Barnes & Bevan Hall)

YASS SOLDIERS CLUB C GRADE

YASS GOLF CLUB V BOOROWA @ Bowning Oval

(Umpires Josh O’Brien & teams to do square leg)

YDCA Presentation Dinner Saturday 2 April, 7.00pm Yass Soldiers Club