Men on a mission
Laharum will attempt to continue its adopted role as Horsham Cricket Association A Grade ‘spoiler’ when it takes on Rupanyupminyip at Minyip on Saturday.
The Mountain Men, despite needing a minor miracle to force their way into the finals, are proving a major headache for outfits trying to consolidate form before action heats up in March.
Laharum takes on a Rupanyup-minyip side it beat to get its three-in-a-row run rolling and will back itself again in a two-day clash at Minyip.
Jung Tigers were the latest group to come unstuck against the northern Grampians outfit, failing last week to make the 168 the visitors had week before.
Brad Johnson was the destroyer for the Mountain Men, snaring an impressive 5-18 in a haul that included some of the most experienced players in the competition.
The Tigers, who had resumed at three wickets down, made only 139, skipper Tyler Neville, 37, and Tyler Puls, 22, offering the only legitimate resistance.
But it was initially the batting of Daniel Griffiths and Todd Heynen that set up the win, and with Ben Peucker hitting the ball sweetly and Damien Bunworth likely to return, the team is far from a pushover.
Laharum now meets the Blue Panthers who turned around poor post-christmas form to score a comprehensive win set the against Blackheath-dimboola at Dimboola.
Rupanyup-minyip, defending 265, bowled the home side out for 159, Glenn Morgan, Daniel Schaper, Ryan Metelmann and Clinton Midgley all sharing in the wicket spoils.
Lachie Watts, 36, Hamish Exell, 54 and Sam Polack, 25, provided the main resistance with the bat.
Laharum’s challenge will be to dislodge what suddenly again looms as a potent batting list.
Blackheath-dimboola, another of the sides outside finals contention, has an opportunity to bounce back against topsy-turvy Horsham Saints who last week ran into a potent Homers batting top-order.
Defending only 108 at Horsham Sunnyside, the Saints toiled against Sandy Hodge, 70, Lachie Jones, 51, Simon Hopper 39, and Jarred Combe, 30 not out, as the Pigeons compiled 5-227 in reply.
Allrounder Matthew Combe was the primary backbone for the Saints with bat and ball and if the Bulls can dislodge him and his brother Justtin early, then the contest at Coughlin Park in Horsham will be up for grabs.
Flag favourites Homers, meanwhile, will turn their guns towards Jung Tigers at Horsham City Oval in a game likely to produce intense action.
The Tigers need a major victory to regain composure and with one of the best blends of youth and experience in the competition, need to find consistency with the bat and somehow crack the Pigeon top order.