THE finals equation is simple for Wesley CBC — beat Nirranda and hope Dennington loses to Merri conference ladder-leader West Warrnambool in the final two-day round.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
If that happens, the Beavers will start preparing for a Warrnambool and District Cricket Association semi-final showdown.
Wesley CBC skipper Andrew Cheeseman said everything would have to fall his side’s way for it to move from third to second and snare a finals spot.
“We are equal on points with Dennington but they have a better percentage,” he said. “They have the top team (to play) and we have the bottom team.
“Even though they are bottom, they have good players and can get away from you.
“They are not to be taken lightly.”
Cheeseman said the Beavers had learnt the damage complacency could do in an earlier match.
“After the Christmas break Port Fairy was second bottom and we took it a bit lightly and got outrighted and we took it as a wake-up call,” he said.
Cheeseman said Ryan McArdle and Sam McCosh had batted well of late, while Tom Bowman had impressed with the ball, taking a five-wicket haul against Dennington.
Fifth-placed Nestles plays fourth-placed Port Fairy in the only Merri conference game without finals implications.
Third-placed Woodford must overcome ladder-leader and reigning premier Merrivale in their Hopkins conference match and hope second-placed Allansford falters against lowly Russells Creek if it is to make finals.
The Eels could mathematically still make the semi-finals if they won and the Gators, with whom they are equal on points, won too, but Allansford would be in the box seat if that scenario occurred because of its superior percentage.
Woodford coach John Houston said the Eels must focus solely on the Tigers.
“We need to play good cricket and play the standard of cricket we know we can,” he said.
“We only lost on the second last ball of the day (last time we played them) so we know that they match up well against them.
“Bowling-wise we have to bowl line and length and accumulate pressure on their batsmen and force errors and when we bat that we don’t let them dictate and we must be positive with our batting.”
East Warrnambool-YCW and Brierly Christ-Church meet in the other Hopkins conference match.
justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au