Kooweerup opener Michael Giles smashes a rocket back at Tooradin bowler Steve Hamill in last week’s clash at Tooradin. Hamill was left wringing his hands after dropping the catch. Giles’ power hitting will be a feature of this week’s clash with Cardinia. 76127 Picture: David Nagel
By David Nagel
KOOWEERUP and Cardinia have played some classic matches and built up the fiercest rivalry in the West Gippsland Cricket Association in recent times and that will continue this Saturday when they clash at Kooweerup in the match of the season.
Combatants in two grand finals and one semi-final in the last three seasons these two are the bona-fide powerhouses of the association and the return of two-day cricket could not have come at a better time for the two to test themselves against each other.
Those three finals matches tell a story in themselves, names like Mark Cooper, Dwayne Doig and Ben Darose for the Bulls and Travis Canavan, Shane Dole and Chris O’Hara for the Demons have been the stand-outs when the pressure has been at its greatest.
Reputations are built in big games.
Definitely the most impressive stat amongst all the heroics is Doig’s amazing record of taking six wickets in each of those games. The competition’s premium model spinner consistently delivers on the big stage and in a match full of stars he could be the difference. His 27 wickets this season is six clear of his nearest challenger.
Clearly the two best opening partnerships in the game take each other on and both have had similar seasons. Cooper and Neil Barfuss take on O’Hara and Michael Giles…. mouth-watering stuff.
It’s not often Barfuss and Giles get compared to other players but in this case they would both deem it a compliment to be rated as highly as the other. Both are brutal hitters of the ball, both capable of turning starts into massive scores as Barfuss’ early season double century and Giles recent 130 not out quite clearly confirm.
Barfuss is number one in the competition this year with 571 runs and Giles number two with 499. The winner of their battle over the next two weeks will have their team firmly in red figures in the market. This one’s a draw.
O’Hara (327) and Cooper (300) have also been well matched this season and both are much better suited to the two-day format. O’Hara has been consistent all season while Cooper has hit his best form late. Let’s call that one a draw as well.
So where will the edge come from?
The pace bowling of both teams is solid but not spectacular. Demon youngster Adam McMaster has teamed well with Matt Davey this season and O’Hara’s medium pacers have been more than useful. Craig Boswell has been the Bulls’ best with Barfuss also having an impact.
Canavan and Dole provide classy batting back-up for the Demons while Darose and Danny Diwell do exactly the same for the Bulls. This match is that even it’s almost a joke.
Kooweerup will be hungry after losing to Tooradin last week and the Seagulls proved what an impact that can have after losing a nail biter the week before to Pakenham.
The Bulls on the other hand have been chugging along in cruise control since the Lions knocked them off in round seven but they’ll be primed for the challenge.
It all comes back to where we started. Doig provides the only notable difference between the two sides and on that basis the Bulls will get up.
But it could be a draw as well.
