McMahon Shield | Ladder taking shape in pivotal round eight showdowns

Ladder leader Moama is yet to taste defeat, while the remainder of the top four, Echuca, Echuca South and Kyabram Fire Brigade, have opened up a one-game gap on the rest of the McMahon Shield.

And the Pies head into the red-ball format with an opportunity to continue their ascendancy.

Moama faces Cooma, eighth, in a rematch of the round-one clash that went down to the wire, with the black and white hanging on for a 10-run victory.

With three batters inside the top 10 run scorers and Michael Hill still comfortably leading the wickets, Moama will back itself to get the job done on its home pitch.

For Echuca, this round will dish up a rematch against Kookaburra T20 Cup opponents Bamawm-Lockington United, and the reigning premiers will be keen to get back on the pitch after last week’s clash against Leitchville-Gunbower was called off due to weather.

The Lions, whose clash against Rochester was also lost due to the rain, were leapfrogged into fourth by a rampant Kyabram Fire Brigade after Paul Newman’s amazing 123-ball double ton.

The Flames will have a sterner challenge this week in the form of Echuca South in what shapes up as the game of the round in the top-four clash out at Northern Oval.

Kyabram has won five games in a row after dropping the first two, but the Swans were the instigators of one of those, beating the Flames by six wickets back in round one.

Meanwhile, Gunbower will play host to what is a pivotal game for Nondies-Cohuna, who has drifted two games outside the top four.

It faces Leitchville-Gunbower, who has yet to record a win this season.

L-G is one of two clubs in that category, with Tongala hosting Rochester in an effort to notch its first win.