Catani batting star Brad McDonald is a key to the Blues chances of making the Agrade grand final. By Ian Ferguson
THERE will be an extra adrenalin rush among players taking part in this season’s finals’ games, and history suggests that if upsets occur it will be in semifinals.
Traditionally semifinals are the toughest game of the season, so who will emerge for the grand final from the CardiniaCatani clash and the contest at Officer between the Bullants and Kooweerup?
Both should be enthralling and tense games, but the top two teams in Cardinia and Officer are expected to win and fight out the 200607 grand final.
Catani has been West Gippsland’s giant killers since the Christmas break.
Its pace attack with Lionel Sexton, Paul Govaars and Luke McFarlane is a dangerous trio and Nic Close and Brad McDonald rank with the best batsmen in the competition.
However Cardinia more than matches the Blues in both departments.
The Bulls have a competent pace attack, but it would not surprise if their two spinners in Dwayne Doig and Mark Cooper emerge as the key bowlers in the game.
If the Blues are reduced to an average score, Cardinia’s talented batting lineup of Cooper, Ben and Troy Da Rose and the inform Luke Turner will see the Bulls paw their way to a grand final.
Officer scored one of its lowest totals for the season when Kooweerup upset it at its semifinal venue in round ten.
This failure is not likely to reoccur as the versatile Officer team has many batsmen who are capable of registering a matchwinning score.
In the runmaking department Colin Tucker, Ben Tivendale, Sean Marchetti, Ben Baxter and Shane White have all risen to strong challenges and if two or more fire next weekend Officer should win.
Kooweerup’s best chance is to win the toss and amass one of those 400600 run totals which has delivered success to the Demons this season.
If attacking stroke players such as Chris O’Hara, Mick Damon. Matt Davey, Carl McGregor and Steve Johnson all fire, then the Demons will win because no other side in West Gippsland can match the Demons’ batting firepower when they are on song.
Davey and McGregor are also capable bowlers, but Officer, who can call on Kable Dowsett, Tivendale, White and Andrew Tucker, has superior depth in its attack.
Overall it will be a fascinating semifinal, but the superior depth and experience of the Officer team should see it through to consecutive grand finals.Semifinal tips (winners in capitals): Agrade CARDINIA v Catani and OFFICER v Kooweerup, Bgrade NNG/MARYKNOLL v KilcundaBass and UPPER BEACONSFIELD v Nyora, Cgrade LANG LANG v Lyndhurst Vikings and Kooweerup v BEACONSFIELD, Dgrade MERINDA PARK v NNG/Maryknoll and PAK UPPERTOOMUC v Beaconsfield, Egrade TOORADIN v Gembrook and CARDINIA v Pak UpperToomuc.
