BEVERFORD Tavern Demons have one foot in the door of the McDonald’s T20 competition grand final after two impressive wins at the weekend.
The Demons sit atop the table, one game clear of Phones R Us Blues, Are Able Bulldogs and Autopro Bombers with one round remaining.
Searching for consecutive T20 titles, the Demons have been unstoppable in the shorter format, currently undefeated and having claimed big scalps.
It continued with tough victories against the Bulldogs and Bombers on Saturday at their home fortress, Nyah Recreation Reserve.
Demons captain Ben Shadbolt said his side had started to gel at the right time.
“It’s a great result for us to keep it rolling with these T20 games,” he said.
“They’re a funny game, they can go either way, but we’re just finding our form a bit with our team now.”
On a slow, bowler-friendly pitch, the Demons were kept to just 94 runs from their 20 overs by Are Able Bulldogs, but things could have been worse if not for the innings of Alex Wilson.
Coming in at 6/31, the overseas import ended his innings not out with 37 runs from 29 balls, pushing his team to a competitive score.
Shadbolt said his side were “obviously disappointed” by the total but knew the wicket would have enough to keep his bowlers in the game.
“It was a tricky wicket,” he said.
“We ended up doing pretty well to get to 94, but early on, we just thought we were going to try and smash our way through it, and it just didn’t work on a slow wicket.
“We didn’t get many runs on the board, but we knew we had to defend it, so we just flipped the switch with the ball and in the field, and we really just changed the game with that.”
A ferocious fielding effort was the difference, as the Demons kept the just-as-dangerous Bulldogs to just 74.
Following on from his cameo with the bat, Wilson was game-changing with ball in hand, taking 3/13 from his four overs.
Against Autopro Bombers, also in Nyah, Shadbolt said his side had learned their lesson from the earlier game.
“Coming into the second game we obviously knew what the wicket was going to do,” he said.
“We found our lengths early, settled in, restricted Wandella to just over 100 runs, and knew the right way to bat on the wicket.”
Joel Walsh produced an unbeatable display of power-hitting, setting the tone early.
Walsh hit five sixes and three fours in his 56 not out.
“If Wandella missed their length slightly, Walshy made them pay very easily,” Shadbolt said.
“He hit some ridiculous shots, a couple of sixes over cover and some big, big hits.
“It’s super hitting and it’s just more impressive with Wandella having a seriously good bowling line-up.”
