Warriors find their fighting edge to move into race for playoffs

IF WE WERE TO FINISH FOURTH, THAT WOULD BE UNREAL.

BRENDAN WEMYSS, PICTURED

MODEWARRE 8-163 LETHBRIDGE 9-160

MODEWARRE has gone from winless to being on the cusp of a GCA3 finals berth.

Aaron Hovey and Cam Jones guided the Warriors to a two-wicket win in a tense finish over Lethbridge at Moriac on Saturday.

The hosts fell to 8-146, needing 15 for victory but Jones (15 not out) and Hovey (9 not out) steered Modewarre to its fourth win of the season.

Captain Brendan Wemyss, who top-scored with 49 in an opening partnership of 82 with Nat Matthews (27) and took 3-11 off 10 overs, said a top-four finish for the Warriors, who were relegated last season after a winless GCA2 summer, would be “unreal”.

“If we play our best cricket, we’re a sniff, but I’m under no illusions, there’s a couple of really good sides that we haven’t come up against yet,” Wemyss said. “I think we’ve got Guild twice in the next five weeks, we’ve got Corio, we play Bannockburn, who are around the same mark as us.

“If we were to finish fourth, that would be unreal.”

Wemyss said his side was enjoying playing in a more competitive division.

“I said to the boys after the game, Modewarre of old . . . could have capitulated,” he said. “I just think being down in that division, not that it’s bad cricket, but it just gives our kids and our fringe players that chance to compete and be more competitive.

“We’re not a top-two, top-three side at the moment, but hopefully gathering some wins . . . just gives the boys a heap of confidence.

“One of the issues we were worried about when we were in Division 2 is losing our kids through the fact they were uncompetitive and they were getting flogged every week.

“Now we’re back in that division, we’re not winning every week but a few of those wins give a few of those guys a bit more confidence.”