DEFENDING premiers and competition form team Tumut Plains take on Coolac in the Elders Cup match of the round at the Bull Paddock on Saturday.
Plains are coming off a strong win against an improved Gundagai side and Coolac are coming off a massive win over the Murrumbidgee Mankadders, so both teams should be high on confidence.
“It should be a good game,” Tumut Plains captain Steve Gill said.
However, the so far unbeaten Plains will be missing three key players, Gill himself, Luke Armstrong and Nathan Butt, though even with the losses the club’s current team depth will stand them in good stead.
“We’ve got quite a big squad this year so we should have a full team,” Gill said.
He said the Plains players were, ”really happy” with how they played in the win over Gundagai, but they know what a challenge Coolac pose.
“Coolac are quite a good team, so you’ve got to do the basics well. You’ve got to take your catches. It often comes down to fielding.”
The Adelong Donkeys head over to Borambola (near Wagga) to face the Murrumbidgee Mankadders, who have had one win and one loss in the season so far.
“I’ve never played there before so it will be something new for me,” Adelong batsman Marcus Williams said.
The Donkeys would normally be considered favourites for this match but they won’t be at full strength.
“Due to the Visy shutdown we will be short a couple of players, but we’re not the only ones hurting because of that, and we’ve got some young fellas who can fill in,” Williams said.
The Donkeys scored an impressive win over Coolac in the first round but their match against Wyangle last Saturday was cancelled due to wet conditions caused by the previous day’s storm.
“It was a bit disappointing. The weather got the better of us, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. But this week the boys are ready to put a good performance forward, and the best side will get up on the day.”
Mankadders captain Michael Hargraves said he and his team mates were looking forward to the match.
“It is always a good game against Adelong. Not sure what they have this year, Jordy Maher is always dangerous.”
He will be looking to Josh Marshman, Kit Ryan and new signing Nelson Foley to have big games for Murrumbidgee.
“I’m hoping they will perform Saturday,” he said.
He is hoping his team learn from last week’s big loss.
“Look last week we had too many players not respect how good the bowling was from Jack Gardner, that is what frustrated me. We had win on the cards and threw it out, having a go at balls we didn’t have to. Still, we had a great crack and our bowling performance was built on James Bunter and Josh Williams, two blokes who’ve been with us since the start who have come along way.”
We have Timmy Kross and Will Bingham back this week and they will sure up our top order.
Wyangle will be similarly keen to get back on the pitch and will do so against Gundagai in Gundagai tomorrow.
Gundagai, back in the competition after being absent last season, improved last weekend but know that Wyangle pose a big challenge.
“They are always going to have a strong team,” Gundagai captain Caleb Lindley-Kell said.
“I think if we can bowl how we know we can that will put us in good stead on the weekend.”
Wyangle’s Dave Shedden said his team was desperately hoping to get a full side for Saturday.
“Gundagai down there could be a real challenge; they are showing some fight all right. The worry also for us is the fact that we didn’t play last weekend so that’s probably not perfect going into Saturday’s game. I know one thing that we certainly won’t be leaving anything in the tank on Saturday. We will be looking to bowl a lot straighter than we did against Tumut Plains in the first round and look to get our heads down and bat for 40 overs and hold our catches.”
