By JIM TIMBERLAKE
GEELONG Cricket Club will resume Saturday’s match ideally placed to finish its home-and-away campaign on a winning note.
The Cats bowling line-up showed no ill effects of missing star paceman Jake Reed to state duties, dismissing its host for just 134 in 50 overs.
Justin McPhee (4/19) was again the destroyer, while veteran Marc Carson (3/25) chipped in with some tidy bowling of his own.
Geelong had 40 overs to face on day one and did so positively, moving to 4/123 at sumps.
Opener James Crosthwaite (39) top scored, while Hayden Butterworth (38) found some touch.
Geelong will resume needing just 12 runs to win and, with a top-four position on the table already sewn up, will most likely look to use the day as batting practice.
In Geelong Cricket Association, the division one season is going right down to the wire.
An exciting finish on Saturday will determine who takes sixth spot and the right to contest this year’s finals.
Geelong West, currently sixth, has its destiny in its own hands as it attempts to chase down South Barwon’s 210.
While the ground isn’t huge and the outfield is fast, it could be the pitch that is the Rams’ biggest hurdle because 210 at Reynolds Reserve is worth a lot more than on most wickets around town.
Of the teams nipping at Geelong West’s heels, it appears Geelong City might be best-placed to swoop if the Rams can’t get the job done.
The Sharks made 261, with opener Adam Pitts (116) winding back the clock to post a fine century against ladder-leader North Geelong.
The Magpies, as they have done all year, will rely heavily on Jake Thorne and Andrew Ferguson to chase down those runs.
Newtown & Chilwell has posted a competitive total of 240 against East Belmont, Justin Foss (86) the star, batting well with the tail to keep the team’s hopes alive.
Finally, Murgheboluc will need to rely on a lot of results going its way before even contemplating chasing down St Joseph’s first innings total of 261.
No doubt lots of scores will be relayed around tomorrow as teams keep one eye on their own game and one on all the other games affecting their fate.
In division two, sixth-placed Waurn Ponds can almost write off its season after allowing St Alban’s Breakwater to pile on 322 last week.
It appears the Eagles’ premiership hopes will come to an end tomorrow.
With four teams on equal seventh place ready to take its spot, Newcomb & District and Torquay look the worst-placed to proceed into next week’s finals.
The Dinos only have 128 to defend against Modewarre, which is already 2/47, while Torquay will struggle to chase down Bell Post Hill’s 314.
That leaves Manifold Heights needing to chase down Alexander Thomson’s 158 and St Peter’s requiring just 134 against Marshall.
While both those teams should win, Manifold Heights is the favourite to play finals courtesy of its superior percentage.
Take nothing for granted, though, because a few twists and turns are sure to eventuate tomorrow.
In division three, sixth-placed Corio has already won against Lethbridge, meaning this season’s finalists are now locked in.
While Meredith could technically still pull of a miraculous outright, the position of its match against Bell Park indicates virtually no chance of that happening.
The rest of the finalists can use tomorrow to fine tune their games for the coming few weeks when it’s all on the line.
