Last year’s grand final deliverance came during a season where the Blues were right amongst the competition’s best, but while it has confidently remained the team to beat during this campaign, a stark difference lies in the lead up to the looming big dance.
While Numurkah failed to falter in the qualifying stages of last season, the Blues head to Mooroopna Recreation Reserve off the back of a puzzling home defeat to Nagambie last weekend, only progressing due to its status as the highest ranked loser.
Its usually threatening bowling attack struggled to crack the Lakers’ line-up and, while the majority of the Blues’ top-order registered promising starts, Dylan Grandell’s half-century signalled the only sign of muster within the Numurkah batting stocks.
Meanwhile, Mooroopna heads to the middle with plenty of wind in its sails following a resounding triumph against Northerners, firing a warning shot towards Numurkah as a team to be approached with severe caution.
Adding to the pressure of the occasion, and sure to lurk in the minds of the travellers, is the result the last time both sides traded blows.
Round five spelled disaster when Numurkah hosted Mooroopna, with the ladder-leader capitulating thanks to a Henry Barrow masterclass ending the Blues’ unbeaten streak.
However, a stunning run of form followed — a factor Numurkah will hope to draw upon this weekend.
Likely candidates to lead the line for the Blues are all-rounders Shaun Downie (365 runs at 30.4 and 16 wickets at 23.8) and Liam Gledhill (283 at 36 and 23 at 15.4), while Grandell and Michael Eckard will look to hold it down with ball and bat.
7°C