A NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE chase of 436 runs for victory awaits Quantong on Saturday against B Grade flag fancy Lubeck-Murtoa at Quantong Park.
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In a brilliant day-one batting display on a lightning fast outfield, Graeme Reddie and Hamish Gawith piled on centuries to give the Mudlarks complete control against an under-manned Bombers outfit.
Bombers captain Jordan McDonald – the pick of his side’s bowlers last weekend with three wickets – was realistic when summing up the situation.
“It’s a massive score to try and chase down,” he said.
“We’ll try and bat the 75 overs and see what we can get to.”
The Bombers will be boosted by the inclusion of Tim Brand, who McDonald said would likely bat at the top of the order against a strong Mudlarks bowling attack led by the in-form Brett McKenzie.
Horsham Saints will still be eyeing off an upset win over Rup-Minyip after putting 156 on the board against the ladder leader at a slow Minyip Oval last week.
After a couple of quiet weeks with the bat, Blue Panthers skipper Gavin Young will be full of confidence after claiming six Saints wickets for just 31 runs on day one.
Blue Panthers batsman Nick McIntyre has also been listed in the team, and last time these two teams met he scored an undefeated 87.
The key for the Saints will be quick seam bowling rotations in testing conditions, with left-armer Xavier Chesterfield in form, having picked up two wickets in each of his past three games.
In Sunday’s re-scheduled round 10 one-day matches, the Saints will host Lubeck-Murtoa, while a win for either Jung Tigers or the Bombers at Dimboola Road Oval will go a long way towards securing a finals berth.
Second-placed Homers have the opportunity to close the gap on C Grade top team Natimuk-Goroke – which has the bye – when they take on the bottom-placed Horsham Saints at the Lutheran primary school oval.
A win for the Pigeons would take them within three points of the ladder leader while an upset victory for the Saints – who are two games outside the top four – would keep their finals aspirations alive.
A win for Noradjuha-Toolondo or Laharum when the teams meet at Noradjuha will move either side within reach of finals, while the fourth-placed Colts can prolong their stay in the top four with a win against sixth-placed Blackheath-Dimboola at Dimboola oval.
Quantong will also be looking to keep its finals hopes alive, but faces the red-hot Jung Tigers, who have won their past three matches, at Dimboola Road Oval.