By David Nagel
One wants to win a special premiership after a slow start to the season while the other has its sights set on back-to-back flags.
It’s the perfect recipe for a classic when Pakenham and Cardinia fight for their season’s survival at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
Here’s a close look at how the Lions and Bulls match-up…
WGCA Premier Division – Minor Semi-Final
Pakenham (3) v Cardinia (4)
Pakenham Stats…
Over 150 Runs: Chris Smith 515, Jason Williams 336, Dale Tormey 301, Zac Chaplin 274, Rob Elston 227, Troy McDermott 137.
Over 10 Wickets: Tom Brennan 18, Jason Williams 18, Troy McDermott 17, James Close 14, Patrick Lawson 13.
Cardinia Stats…
Over 150 Runs: Alex Nooy 378, Bradey Welsh 260, Jake Prosser 254, Travis Wheller 271, Matt Welsh 208, Leigh Paterson 137, Nathan Volpe 105.
Over 10 Wickets: Travis Wheller 20, Jack Bacon 14, Jake Prosser 12, Lachlan Volpe 11, Dean Henwood 10.
Preview
Wow…for one of these teams…this is going to hurt!
A rampaging Pakenham hosts reigning champion Cardinia at Toomuc Reserve this week in a cut-throat elimination final for the ages.
The Lions, who have won nine of their last 10 games, take on a Bulls’ outfit that has really struggled to gain any sort of momentum this year.
The Bulls won their first three, but have since failed to string any more than two wins together!
Their batting has been held together by Alex Nooy at the top of the order, with their other key batters, Bradey Welsh, Jake Prosser, Travis Wheller and Matt Welsh all having up and down seasons.
Wheller started the season like a house on fire, scoring 159 runs in his first three games, but has made just 58 runs since.
Bradey Welsh had a purple patch through the middle of the season, scoring 97 and 72 not out, but has made just six runs from his last four hits.
Wheller and Welsh have the talent, but coming off a washout last week the pair missed out on the ideal opportunity to turn their form around.
Prosser has also not been as influential as last year, but that’s a tough marker to be measured by after his monstrous impact in a premiership year.
But, despite their battles with individual form….there’s no doubting the Bulls are winners.
They remain the reigning champs, until someone removes their crown, and the way they handled pressure in this season’s Kookaburra Cup grand final showed they still have the bottle to succeed.
They love holding silverware!
Nooy and Bradey Welsh, they looked unstoppable that day, and that’s the dangerous proposition that Dale Tormey and his Lions confront on the weekend.
Tormey, himself, has battled for form this season, but recent scores of 55 not out, 49, 46 and 46 would suggest he’s ready to tear a game apart.
The master-blaster of the WGCA over the last few years has his big bullets loaded…and is ready to fire some shots.
But if Tormey does misfire on Saturday the Lions appear to have the depth to cover, with the imperious Chris Smith, a revitalised Jason Williams, and a clean-hitting Zac Chaplin all ready to step up to the plate.
If the Lions do go on to win this year’s crown, the early season impact of Williams should not be underestimated.
The Lions were almost cooked, but the efforts of Smith, Williams and Rob Elston kept them in the hunt.
We haven’t even mentioned the likes Troy McDermott and the dangerous Sean Gramc just yet, or the inspired bowling of Tom Brennan…who keeps fronting up with a new ball and taking on the best.
This one is going to hurt…and it’s going to hurt for the Bulls.
It’s the Lions to progress to a preliminary final shootout against Kooweerup, at Denhams Road next week…after a three wicket or 40 run victory.
