By JARROD POTTER
WGCA SUB-DISTRICT GRAND FINAL PREVIEW
ONCE again the second XIs have taken the stage for the Subbies’ grand final. Tooradin has been a steady accumulator throughout the year while Pakenham is well and truly on the rollercoaster.
Pakenham has to split its attention between the Premier final and the Subbies’ main match – as the Lions battle Kooweerup at Toomuc Reserve. While Tooradin is a settled entity, with the Seagulls’ firsts eliminated, giving the seasiders plenty to cheer about at home for the third division finale.
Pakenham’s upset win over the resurgent Cardinia set the stage for the second XI showdown as Tooradin cantered past the fading Kalgidhar in successive, successful rounds.
Flying under the radar a little in the competition – sandwiched between Kalgidhar’s explosive start and Cardinia’s terrorising conclusion to the home-and-away season – it’s been easy to forget about Tooradin but the achievements are there to see.
Tooradin’s Kane Latham has been explosive in his usual manner and the rest of the order has found form at the right time, with Andrew Proctor (117) passing the 400-mark with his sublime ton on the weekend.
Similarly the new ball will be well handled for the Seagulls by Matt Thompson (25 wickets), Chris Brennan (21), Mat Finch (19) and Steve Hamill (13).
There isn’t a glaring weakness in the Seagulls’ XI, nor is there any stand-alone unit ready to burden the entire task; they’re just fairly even across the board.
Similarly to that claim, Pakenham’s line-up is like a packet of home brand chips. No fuss, nothing fancy, just a good product at its core. They aren’t your sweet-chili, honey-soy chicken or pomegranate and pear combination. The Lions’ are a good bag of salt and vinegar or even the sweet and sour speciality.
The out-and-out stars are off with the Premier side, leaving an XI well balanced between experienced warriors (Webster, Nobels, North, McCraw) and the up-and-comers (Melbourne, Interlandi, Vela, Hulme, Jones).
Jack Melbourne (23 wickets) has gone about business without much fanfare but continually snares a few wickets in league with Brandon Interlandi (20 wickets) or Tom Jones (12 wickets). Interlandi has taken strides with his batting – especially his 32 on the weekend as his efforts held off the Bulls long enough for the lower order to plant itself.
Usually there’s one side that stands out over the other, but with two fairly even lists and a similar form streak heading into the big dance, it will be left to the gods to determine this outcome.
Tooradin Recreation Reserve will host the Sub-District grand final, starting 1.00pm on both days of the weekend.
