By Ben Hope
CRANBOURNE president Glenn Weir is feeling confident of a victory as the undefeated Cranbourne side faces Berwick this weekend in the DDCA Turf Two competition.
“We have a few people on holidays this week, so there will be some changes to our line-up but we are confident we have people to cover them,” Weir said.
Cranbourne is trailing ladder-leader Dandenong West after Dandenong picked up four extra points for their outright victory against Fountain Gate in their last game of 2009.
Unfortunately for Cranbourne the next two games are restricted to one day and the team won’t get the opportunity for an outright victory until round nine.
Mr Weir said his team was looking to build on their undefeated success before Christmas in the coming weeks before the finals. “At this stage we are looking to keep up our current form,” Weir said.
“Our two new recruits Rob Cleland and Jason Williams have both performed really well and we have a strong side this season.”
“Brad Angus also returned to the team this season after a year off and his performance so far has been excellent, with 70-odd runs in our last game for 2009.”
As for the round eight match against current leaders Dandenong West, Weir said the game will be a big test that both teams will be looking forward to. “It’s a shame it will only be a one-dayer as it won’t be a true test of the clubs’ skills,” Weir said. “Dandenong West will definitely be one of the three teams we will be fighting within the finals.”
After being relegated to Turf Two after a dismal 2008/09 season Weir said the team had its sights firmly set on returning to the Turf One competition next year. “We were all embarrassed when we were relegated last year, we had a side that should have been threatening for the finals but things went against us,” Weir said.
“We are desperate to get back to Turf One.”
In contrast, last year’s finalists the Southern Pirates are stuck at the bottom of the ladder equal with Hampton Park and Berwick. The Pirates will face Lyndale this weekend at Wachter Reserve 1. The Pirates’ season so far has been a far cry from the team that made last year’s finals before being defeated by 71 runs against Mordialloc.
The Pirates have managed to get six points on the board for their 11-run win over Fountain Gate in round three.
Heinz Southern District is still in with a chance at the finals, trailing fourth place Lyndale on the ladder by nine points. HSD will go head-to-head with St Brigid’s/St Loius at Bondi Oval this weekend.
The teams were closely matched when they met last season, with St Brigid’s/St Louis losing outright after winning the first innings.
HSD’s ambitions to climb into Turf One will depend on strong performances for the remainder of the season.
