Cricket
13 March, 2025
Homers and Bullants prepared to battle
The Horsham City Oval will be abuzz with the Homers and Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants battling in the Horsham Cricket Association's A-Grade grand final this weekend.
The Homers finished second on the ladder and made it after defeating Brim Kellalac Sheep Hills last week. The Bullants produced a stunning result, defeating the top side, West Wimmera Warriors, and enter the grand final as the competition's form team.
The Homers batting has been inconsistent this year, but their bowling is the best in the competition.
Brothers Gibson and Baxter Perry are an electric opening bowling combination that puts pressure on the batsmen nearly every ball they bowl. Gibson has 21 wickets at an average of 14 while Baxter has taken 20 at 18.65.
After them comes the spin of Chaminda Gamage, who is hard to play. Gamage has taken 25 wickets at 12.08 and two four-wicket hauls recently. Luke Miller and Adam Atwood compliment each other well.
While the Bullants' bowling isn't as strong, they boast the best player in the competition, Matthew Combe. Combe has taken 36 wickets at 9.5 which is incredible.
He is well complemented by Jordan McDonald, who has 20 at 14.5, Justtin Combe, 15 at 11.53, and Tony Caccaviello, 11 at 14.64.
Despite the Homers batters accumulating more runs between them for the season, the Bullants have the edge in that department on current form.
Matthew Combe has scored 377 runs at 34.27, while Justtin Combe has scored 306 at 30.6. Jamie Byrne is critical at the top of the order. If he and Justtin can see off the Perry brothers, he is dangerous on his day. He has scored 201 runs at 23.33.
If they don't all do well, Jason Harris is currently in good form and boasts 202 runs at 67.33, and Austin Smith has also found form in recent weeks.
The Homers need Adam Atwood to fire at the top of the order, alongside Luke Miller and Patrick Mills. Atwood has scored 333 runs at 23.79, Miller, 293 at 26.64, and Mills, 288 at 32.
Should the Bullants get those key wickets, they must deal with form batters Chaminda Gamage and Gibson Perry. Gamage has scored 317 runs at 26.42 and Perry, while bowling is his strength, the last few weeks his batting has been on song with two crucial knocks. He has scored 181 runs at 20.11.
Homers captain Adam Atwood said he is happy with how they head into the final.
"We are happy to be in the grand final again and have done the hard work to get here. We know we now need to finish it off," Atwood said.
"Our bowling has been top notch all year but as we haven't had a full team at times, our batting has been up and down.
"At the city oval, things will be hard, especially batting."
Atwood added that it will be a team effort to get the win, and they won't be relying on one or two players to deliver.
"It will be a team effort, and with our two quickies up front, Chaminda, and the spin, we will plod away, work hard in the field, and do our best.
"We need to be positive and trying to score sensibly. We can't be 4/20 in the first hour or something silly.
"We will work hard against the new ball, and in the field, our catching, bowling, and fielding will be a team effort. If we do that, we are confident we can win."
Bullants opening batsman Justtin Combe said runs on the board is the key.
"I think if you can put runs on the board in finals, it gives you an extra 20-30 run edge and builds the pressure on the opposition," Combe said.
"If we win the toss, we will bat and look to get at least 180 on the board and back our bowlers to do the job.
"The two Perry's are damaging bowlers on their day, and it's up to Jamie Byrne and me to set us up with a good start. I hope to see those two bowlers off."
Combe is confident his brother, Matthew, will continue his brilliant form.
"He has been bowling and batting well, and he will rise to a big occasion, but we also have other bowlers and batters in good form, so we are confident we can put in a good team effort."
Both teams' key players are their all-rounders, Chaminda Gamage for the Homers and Matthew Combe for the Bullants.
Gamage said he does not feel the pressure to perform.
"My batting and bowling is good at the moment and I am happy with what I am achieving," Gamage said.
"I do not feel any pressure because I will continue to play my normal game and do my best."
Matthew Combe said they are going well enough as a team and that he is happy with his current form.
"I think we are going well enough as a club by not relying on one or two players to get us across the line like we may have been earlier in the season," Combe said.
"I am excited about the weekend and will think about it more closer to game time.
"At the moment I seem to be bowling better than I bat, and that wasn't the case ten years ago."
"I am not the quickest bowler but I feel like I can run in and hit the same spot ball after ball."
In the other grand finals, Bullants and Tigers meet at Dudley Cornell Park in the B-grade. On Saturday, the Homers and West Wimmera Warriors battle at Dimboola Road Oval in C-grade.