DANGERMAN: Rohan Hutchison will be the man Berry needs to contain this weekend.
IT would take a brave man to bet on who will win this year’s Shoalhaven District Cricket Association first grade premiership.
On paper Bomaderry probably has its nose in front courtesy of its minor premiership but its one-day series final loss to Ex-Servicemen followed by a Kiteley’s Roofing Twenty20 final loss to Berry has proven they are not unbeatable and may struggle under finals pressure.
Bomaderry has the home ground advantage when it faces Ex-Servicemen at Bomaderry Oval.
The two sides have met twice this year with Bomaderry walking away with the points both times.
In their round four, one-day clash Ex-Servo’s Lain Beckett (45) and Paul Meakins (47) led the way with the bat as the visitors posted a competitive 5/189 from 54 overs.
It took a hard hitting performance from Scott Fagerlund (58) and Nick Jennings (65 n.o) during Bomaderry’s run chase for the home side to stagger across the line 8/190 in the 40th over.
Matt Ganderton (3/41/9) and Shane Phillis (2/25/9) caused the Bomaderry batting line up plenty of trouble and probably felt unlucky not to grab the points.
Unfortunately Ex-Servicemen could not repeat the performance when the two sides met again in round 14 for a two-day match. Despite having the home ground advantage and winning the toss Ex-Servo had no reply to the bowling attack of John Muggleton and Jordan Matthews. The fast pair terrorised the Ex-Servo top order batsmen to have them on the ropes at 4/10, before a fighting 34 from George Dickie helped them to an eventual 131.
John Muggleton (3/37/8), Jordan Matthews (2/29/8), Jason Bell (2/20/8) and Matt Bell, who cleaned up the tail with 2/3 from 2.2, gave Ex-Servos a taste of what to expect tomorrow.
A fired up Lain Beckett gave the Bomaderry batting line up a taste of its own medicine on his way to 3/35 but Bomaderry managed to reach the required in the 50th over.
Bomaderry is a team full of young guns and they have been known to display plenty of emotion on the pitch. Ex-Servos also has a few young bulls of its own but also has a few old bulls to keep them in check.
Expect a fast pace match that will hang in the balance until the end.
South Coast Register tip; Bomaderry to count themselves lucky to just get home after a bruising encounter.