EXPERIENCE - Sometimes you just can’t beat it, and Stallions will have plenty to call on when they clash with Golf Club in the Moree District Cricket Association grand final on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It will be their third straight appearance on the big day while Golfies haven’t played in a grand final since the 2008-09 season.
Golfies captain Rob Humphries, however, doesn’t believe his side is lacking in grand final experience and said consistently having the same players available this year had helped with stability around the side.
“We’ve got a couple of older heads in the side who will help a few of the younger boys. We had a side last year that could have challenged for the title but it wasn’t to be.
“Our numbers this year at training have been outstanding. It’s been good to see the boys are showing commitment and it’s paid off.”
In last year’s decider the Stallions were too good for the Rowe, exacting revenge from the previous season’s grand final to claim champions’ status.
This season, Golf Club and Stallions have split their matches with Golfies chasing down 220 in 35 overs in their most recent encounter - PJ Brown top-scoring with 79.
Unfortunately for Golfies, Brown won’t be available this week due to work commitments in Toowoomba.
Humphries said he expected Stallions opening bowlers Chris Holland and Beau McMahon to come out and bowl quick.
“They bowled with some serious pace last weekend and I expect more of the same this weekend, but we’ve got our own pace duo of Jas Sandhu and Mitch Harris who they’ll have to deal with as well.”
Stallions captain Holland said he expected a tightly contested game which could be decided in the last over. “It’s good that the top two teams have come through the season and will play in the last game of the year. We’re probably more a bowling side and Golfies are probably stronger with their batting so it should be a good game.”
Stallions hope to welcome back Heath Riggs and Richie Williams to the side which accounted for Collarenebri last week.
Golf Club cruised into their first grand final in four years by finishing first after the regular season courtesy of consistent performances from Doug Murphy and opener Nick Bettington.
Murphy has scored 220 runs this season at an average of 55 while Bettington isn’t too far behind with an average of 42, which included a century against Services Club earlier in the year.
Murphy and Virgil Smith will return to the Golfies team in the only changes to the side which accounted for Collarenebri two weeks ago.
“I’m expecting big games from Doug and Virgil this week. I think Virgil feels a bit of unfinished business from the last time we played Stallions,” Humphries said.
The first ball will be bowled at 1pm at Ron Harborne Oval.