LAHARUM will bank on the performance of its seam attack as it looks to secure a place in the A Grade Horsham Cricket Association finals on Saturday.
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The side will need to take nine wickets without Jung Tigers managing a further 106 runs in order to defend its first innings total of 167.
If Larharum manages to claim first innings points the side will move 13 points clear of the fitfth-place Tigers, but if the points fall the opposite direction only one point will separate the side with one round to play.
Laharum batsman Ben Peucker said the performances of Josh Mahoney and Damien Bunworth would be vital.
“Our seamers simply need to bowl well early,” he said.
“The ball was nipping around a lot last week and the pitch gave the bowlers a bit of support.
“A fast Horsham City Oval outfield means we probably haven’t scored enough runs so we need to take all of our chances.”
Marty Knight will resume from 30 not out at the start of the day and he will be joined at the crease by Brett Jensz, who will resume on 12.
Jensz has scored almost twice as many runs as any other Tigers batsmen to this point of the season.
His tally of 409 runs eclipses Steven Leith’s 205.
Whether he goes big or falls early could go a long way to determining the outcome of the contest.
Tigers captain Tyler Neville said he would be confident his side can chase down the target.
“You’d hope you can knock off 100 runs when you’re only one down but cricket is a funny game,” he said.
“We definitely head in confident because we are in a strong position.”
Elsewhere it will require some disciplined batting by the Horsham Saints and Blackheath-Dimboola in order to chase down big totals by Homers and Rup-Minyip.
At Sunnyside it will be a question of how well the Horsham Saints top order can set the chase up early in the day in order to make a target of 277 attainable.
The Saints have struggled to score freely against the likes of Craig Britten and Jarred Combe in recent contests before the Homers’ spin attack cashes in later in the innings.
Much of the scoring burden will likely fall on the shoulders of Matt Combe, Austin Smith and Tony Caccaviello with others required to chip in to make the target look smaller.
For a Blackheath-Dimboola side still chasing a first win a target of 292 to win, it must look very daunting.
The side will need to weather a storm from Brent Hudson, Ryan Metelman and Clint Midgley without its two highest scorers for the season.
Second-day inclusion Hamish Exell could provide the inspiration for an unlikely chase.
