TWO Sri Lankan imports whose exploits have lifted Pomborneit to the South West Cricket grand final are hoping to end Mortlake's quest for seven premierships in eight seasons.
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Lathiru Fernando, 25, and Tharaka Sendanayake, 33, arrived in the south-west for the Australian summer, eager to help the Bulls back to the top.
They've done just that - Fernando has crafted 330 runs and taken 54 wickets and Sendanayake has contributed 463 runs and claimed 32 scalps - across their one-day and twenty20 matches.
They want to continue that form against the Cats in the one-day decider at Camperdown on Saturday.
The imports met at school in Panadura - a town 27 kilometres from the the Sri Lankan capital Colombo - when Sendanayake coached Fernando.
They decided to commit to Pomborneit for the 2018-19 season and have enjoyed their Australian adventure.
"Our team is doing really well and they are very helpful and they teach us to do things," Fernando said.
"I am not happy about my batting but the season is going really well.
"He (Sendanayake) was also not happy with his batting but he did well in the season and took some wickets and made some runs also."
Fernando, who would love to play a second season for the Bulls, said they had to make alterations to adapt to the Australian playing conditions.
"We normally play three-day cricket and we suddenly have to change to one-day cricket," he said.
"And it is the first time we've played on synthetic wickets but that's good fun, a good experience for us as well. We are still learning."
Pomborneit veteran Dave Murphy said the pair, affectionately known as Larry and Sendars, had embraced their new surroundings.
Sendanayake will head home April 27 and Fernando will fly out on May 27.
"They've got a little bit of time to do some sight-seeing and we're going to go to the AFL to see Bulldogs and Sydney in round one," Murphy said.
"We'll show them that and see what they think of that.
"They've been to the cricket a few times - Big Bash and the Boxing Day Test - and the Twelve Apostles and they've been up the Hopkins River on the ski boats. They didn't drown which was a bonus."
Mortlake captain Todd Lamont said the Cats, who edged out the Bulls in their sole one-day match this season, wanted to enhance their legacy.
They've won six of the past seven premierships.
"We won four in a row and then in the fifth year I noticed a lot less motivation around that year and people had other priorities," he said.
"But since we've won the fifth in the six year, we've been a lot hungrier and the determination has come back and hasn't left the group."
Lamont is expecting a down-to-the-wire finish.
"Their bowling is a tad stronger than ours and our batting is a tad stronger than theirs," he said.
"You've just got to play each ball on its merits and not complicate things."
AFL Academy prospect Isaac Wareham returns after NAB League testing last weekend, replacing Will Kain.
Teenage duo Ollie Manhacke and Jack Lehmann are striving for their first senior flags with the Cats.
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