By DAVID NAGEL
THE stage is set for a block-buster WGCA Premier Division grand final rematch as Cardinia and Kooweerup get set to go toe-to-toe at Gunton Oval on Saturday.
Undefeated after 11 rounds, Cardinia is a certainty to finish at the top-of-the-table with its inspirational skipper Neil Barfuss (489 runs and 27 leading) leading the way … having a season to remember.
Barfuss could be as much as 15 votes ahead of his nearest challenger in the race for this season’s player of the year award, with the dashing all-rounder mesmerising his opponents with both bat and ball.
But what the Bulls run into this week is the tightest-of-tight units in Kooweerup, a team with five brothers in its side and looking to build on its three premiership victories in the last five years.
The Demons have been in fine form this season, coming into this contest on the back of a seven-game winning streak. The Bulls haven’t tasted success since 2008/’09 and will be keen to take a massive psychological advantage into this finals series, having already defeated the Demons in round three.
Barfuss, Simon Parrott, Dean Henwood and Ben Darose for the Bulls, taking on Michael Giles, Chris O’Hara, Matt Davey and the bright family … it should be a ripper.
ROUND 11 REVIEW
KOOWEERUP (6/136) paceman John Bright (4/14) set the Demons on the path to victory with a thrilling hat-trick early in the contest against Merinda Park (134).
Bright bowled Daniel McCalman (9) to claim his first scalp of the day, then had Dylan Cuthbertson (0) trapped in front before completing his unique achievement by rattling the stumps of Glen Ward (0).
From there, it was all about maintaining the rage for the reigning champs, with miserly spells from veterans Chris O’Hara (1/19 off 8) and Matt Davey (1/23 off 8) and a well-deserved four-wicket haul to Ron Bright Jr (4/30 off 7) combining to quell the Cobras’ flame.
Koowee skipper Michael Giles (33) then supplied the polish before a Matt-finish was provided by the club’s two in-form performers in Matt Bright (26) and Davey (33 not out). Dylan Cuthbertson (2/35), Brendan Fairlam (2/21) and skipper Danny Diwell (2/15) took two each for the Cobras who now have a poor one-and-four record against their fellow premiership contenders.
A classy century from Beaconsfield’s (9/184) Shameera Weerasinghe (109) has not been enough to stop Tooradin (7/228) from bouncing back to the winner’s list at Westernport Oval.
Weerasinghe’s composed innings highlighted two things, one, that Beaconsfield has stumbled on a player of real class, and two, that cricket is a team game and individual talent can only take you so far without any real level of support.
Tooradin proved that point as its innings escalated, with first Tom Hussey (70), then Aaron Avery (87), showing there’s more than one string to the Seagulls’ bow. Ross Douglas (4/47) claimed bowling honours for the winners who broke a two-game losing streak.
Cardinia (160) did as expected and proved there’s a large gap between the top-four and the rest with a comfortable victory over Pakenham (9/110) at Gunton Oval.
Skipper Neil Barfuss (57) knocked in his fifth half-century on the trot to help his Bulls to a competitive score while Pakenham’s Russell Lehman (5/32) did his best to limit the damage. Supporting roles for the Bulls were played by Mark Andolfatto (30) and Daniel Glen (23) while Lehman’s cast included Chris Smith (3/13) and Zac Chaplin (2/42).
At half-time this one was in the balance.
But Lehman (0) went first ball, struck down by Dean Henwood (1/25), and the Lions quickly resembled a ship without a rudder. Embarrassingly, Chris Smith (28) was the only batsman in the top-nine to score double figures as Travis Welsh (4/16) picked off his opponents at will.
Upper Beaconsfield (7/161) is heading in the right direction and continued its strong finish to the season with a three-wicket win over Emerald (9/159) at Chandler Reserve.
The comfortable win came despite the Bombers two best performers this season, AJ Walker (62) and Darcy Hellriegel (3/40), having more than serviceable games.
The difference in the end was the Maroons’ consistency, with Scott Pitcher (3/25) and Chris Savage (3/32) with the ball, and Savage (36), Robert North (32) and Julian Bayard (23) with the bat chipping in with valuable contributions at crucial times.
