Barwon Heads and Drysdale lead the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A2 Grade ladder at the halfway point of the season. Justin Flynn looks at the run home.
BARWON HEADS (1st)
The Seagulls are almost certain to finish top two and it’s their batting that strikes fear into opposition teams.
Jason Mallett and Matt Bode have four centuries and almost 600 runs between them while Charlie Hurst, Tony Mirabella, Max Melzer and Darcy Hewitt are more than capable.
If anything it’s the bowling and the lack of a genuine pace option that the Seagulls lack, but slow bowlers Sam Schaller and Harry Hyland prove that you don’t need to be quick to take wickets.
The run home is tricky with return games against Drysdale, Portarlington and Wallington, but this side will relish being tested after an untroubled first half of the season.
COLLENDINA (6th)
The Cobras are playing plenty of youngsters in a move that should stand them in good stead going forward.
Noah Jeffrey, Monty Juffermans-Goodluck, Gus Peters and Oscar Walter have shown at times that they can have good periods in A Grade.
Veteran Dean Britt is still bowling well and is happy to shoulder a huge workload, often into the breeze.
Collendina has two byes to come and two games against Newcomb and Winchelsea.
Finals are highly unlikely, but won’t be a priority ahead of acclimatising more youth to the top flight.
DRYSDALE (2nd)
The Hawks are Barwon Heads’ main competitor for the flag and promotion to A1 Grade.
The Hawks face the same sides as the Heads in the run home in what will be a test, but Nick Hallam (246 runs) and Charlie Clode (175 runs) along with the experienced Jason Malcolm mean runs are never a problem.
Blake Dobbin provides a bit of fire with the ball and while Drysdale will make the finals, its goal will be to hold onto a top two spot and earn a home semi-final.
NEWCOMB
It’s been a horror season for Newcomb.
The Bulls have three Saturdays off in a row from January 21 to February 11 courtesy of two byes and return games against Collendina and Winchelsea.
Newcomb’s aim will be winning one game before the season is through, but it’s difficult to see that happening.
More application is needed from the batting to prevent further outright defeats.
PORTARLINGTON (4th)
A nightmare run home sees the Demons play Barwon Heads, Drysdale and Wallington twice.
But sitting in fourth spot by seven points, it means they control their own destiny.
Cameron Gourley has 215 runs so far and it would be a brave pundit to suggest he won’t reach 400 by season’s end.
Even if Port finishes fourth, it is capable of winning the whole thing although it probably needs a bit more from its attack if it is to trouble the top two sides.
WALLINGTON (3rd)
It’s been a bountiful season so far for the Wallabies, but all that is about to be tested.
Return games against top two sides Barwon Heads and Drysdale and fellow finals contender Portarlington will determine where Wallington finishes.
The Wallabies are good enough to play finals and do some damage once there.
Sven Burluraux, Damien Howsam and Matt Sampson-Barnes have all shown form with the willow while evergreen Damien Biemans and Dane Wise-Graham form the basis of a good attack.
WINCHELSEA (5th)
Two byes don’t help Winch’s cause but return games against the bottom two sides certainly do.
The Blues will probably need to defeat Newcomb outright in their two-dayer and win the other three games to have a chance of making it.
We haven’t seen the best of Adam Korth yet this season, but when he does get going, bowlers are in for a torrid time.
Winchelsea will be hoping Portarlington and/or Wallington stumble in the run home while picking up enough points to overtake one of them to make the four.
