By JIM TIMBERLAKE
IF GEELONG Cricket Club wants to finish its season on a high it will need to chase down Essendon’s imposing 9/308 declared at Windy Hill tomorrow.
After being asked to bowl first last week, the Cats’ attack battled bravely on a good wicket and, although the Bombers enjoyed a number of healthy partnerships, coach Damian Shanahan would be proud of his team’s effort.
Jeremy Hart (3/111) and Justin McPhee (3/36) were the pick of the bowlers.
Unfortunately, Geelong will begin in the morning having already lost a wicket after skipper Matthew Harrison was unable to survive two overs last week.
No one doubts that the Cats have the class to win tomorrow but the entire team will need to be at their best to do so.
In Geelong Cricket Association, with one round remaining in division one neither sixth placed Murgheboluc or seventh placed Grovedale were able to secure the points in last week’s one-day games.
The Frogs at least have their destiny in their hands when they travel to Richmond Crescent to play Geelong City.
City has been solid all year and will be tough to beat.
Grovedale will also have to beat a quality team in South Barwon to sneak in itself.
While all that goes on, mathematically Geelong West can still sneak in to the top six by defeating East Belmont and relying on the others losing.
As always in the final round of the season, teams will do their best to keep their minds on their own games but will also be checking for scores from around town.
Selections: LARA v Leopold, GEELONG CITY v Murgheboluc, SOUTH BARWON v Grovedale, EAST BELMONT v Geelong West, NORTH GEELONG v Newtown & Chilwell, Bell Post Hill v ST JOSEPH’S.
In division two, St Peter’s returned to form last week just when it counted most.
In their crucial game against Newcomb & District, the Saints bowlers, led by veteran Steve Illingworth (3/29), restricted their visitors to just 129, which they chased down with relative ease to leapfrog back into the top six.
With a winnable game against Guild St Mary’s this week, St Peter’s should retain its spot and contest this year’s finals series.
Across town, though, don’t be surprised if Newcomb & District bowls first in an attempt to snare outright points.
Selections: Guild St Mary’s v ST PETER’S, NEWCOMB & DISTRICT v Alexander Thomson, ST ALBAN’S BREAKWATER v Waurn Ponds, HIGHTON v Marshall, MODEWARRE v Manifold Heights, Thomson v TORQUAY.
And in division three, it’s a cliff-hanger to see who gets to continue the right to contest for this year’s premiership.
Bell Park is sixth but that basically counts for nothing because it plays eighth placed Little River, which will overtake the Dragons with a win.
But seventh placed Winchelsea can still have a major say in things if it wins against Corio, a result that appears quite likely on current form.
The pressure on these three teams will be immense but whoever comes out on top will go into the finals with a hard edge and could cause a few upsets in March.
Selections: INVERLEIGH v Meredith, LETHBRIDGE v Corio Bay, TEESDALE v Bannockburn, WINCHELSEA v Corio, Little River v BELL PARK, Shelford bye.
