TOMORROW’S Northern District Cricket Association A Grade semi-final hosts will go into their games as strong favourites.
The match of the day will be at Gunbower, where minor premiers, Leitchville/Gunbower host reigning premiers, Wandella in the second semi-final.
The composite side defeated the Bombers on each of the three occasions these sides met during the season, but Wandella’s best performance against tomorrow’s hosts came in the last meeting between these two sides.
The Bombers were on track for an upset win back in round 13.
Jason Keath and Adam Decicco instigated a Bombers’ batting collapse, and both will be pivotal tomorrow for the home side.
Add in the batting prowess of Kurt Brereton and Tyler Jones, and Leitchville/Gunbower will be in the best position to host the grand final on March 12.
However, the Bombers have found top form at the right time of the season, with the Kerang-based side’s sole loss since Christmas occurring in round 13.
Greg Dickson, Brodey Farley, Isaac Hogan and Michael Runciman have all stepped up in the past month, and this quartet could inflict a second successive second semi-final loss against the minor premiers.
Across at Cohuna, Nondies will go into their first semi-final match against Cohuna United with added confidence following last weekend’s 100-plus run win.
United – who only won one match this season and benefitted from two washouts after the mid-season break to make the finals – need to break a two-season hoodoo against their Cohuna rivals to keep their premiership dream alive.
Logan Spittal and Kansas Varker will lead the way for the visitors, but United will need to quell Clayton Holmes and Jake Thrum to have any hope of playing in Sunday’s preliminary final.
The loser of the second semi-final will host the preliminary final, with Nondies boasting wins against both Leitchville/Gunbower and Wandella this season.
However, Nondies has lost the last time they have played the competition’s top two teams.
As for United, both Leitchville/Gunbower and Wandella boast strong records against the Cohuna Recreation Reserve tenants.
Title race open
THE battle for the NDCA B Grade premiership will be an open affair, with the top four teams all recording wins against each other this season.
Minor premiers, Nondies host Wandella in the second semi-final, with the Cohuna-based team holding a 1-3 record against the Bombers.
Nondies will need to break a three-game losing streak against the Bombers to host March 12’s grand final, with Lachie Harbinson and Wade Mathers key players for the home side.
Wandella will look to Nick Whitfield and Matt Wilkinson to add a fourth consecutive win against Nondies.
Across at Koondrook, fourth-placed side, Cohuna United faces an uphill battle to defeat Barham/Koondrook in the first semi-final.
The border side was an early challenger for the minor premiership, and holds a 2-1 record against United.
Peter Taylor and James Wyatt guided United to a win when the sides last met in round 14, but Dylan Robinson and Wes O’Neill will have other ideas for the border side.
The loser of the second semi-final will host the first semi-final victor in Sunday’s preliminary final.
Nondies holds strong records against Barham/Koondrook and Cohuna United, with the minor premiers not dropping a game against either side this season.
It is a different story for Wandella, who holds a 2-2 record against United and a 3-1 record against the border side this season.
