NORTHS AIM TO BREAK AWAY
AT this point local punters aren’t just debating when undefeated Norths will suffer their first A Grade cricket defeat of the season.
They will be wondering if the Redmen can be beaten at all.
With the final round of the competition’s one-day schedule upon them Norths have survived everything rival clubs have thrown at them so far.
This week at Cutheringa Park they face second-placed Wests, arguably the most promising of the contenders to take down the high-flying Redmen before two-day cricket begins.
It’s a rematch of their Round 2 oneday clash, when Norths bowled out Wests for a comprehensive 42-run victory.
Skipper Chris Stanger knows this match is a golden opportunity for his Norths team to break away from the rest of the chasing pack.
“If we pull off a win we go a couple of games clear on top of the ladder, but if we lose we’re right back around Wests and Brothers, so it’s a big game for us,” Stanger said.
Cody Sadler was the hero for Norths in this fixture last time around, scoring 67 runs from 112 balls atop the order before taking 3-17 in 10 economical overs in the second innings – including the prized scalps of Sam Lowry and Lachlan Ford – to finish off the defending champions Magpies. Sadler is coming off a weekend representing North Queensland U21s, where he scored 73 runs and took two wickets against Mackay-whitsunday.
His captain said the rising star had developed into one of Norths’ top weapons this year.
“Cody has really stood up, he’s sort of getting to that age now where he’s really coming on in leaps and bounds,” Stanger said.
“He’s been a real rock at the top of the order for us, really consistent with the bat and he’s our frontline spinner now and he’s taken that role on really well, he’s been bowling beautifully all year.”
In the other A Grade fixtures, Wanderers take on Suburban Parks in a fight for fourth place while Brothers take on Northern Beaches at Lakeside Park.
Wanderers will be gunning to snap a Sub Parks losing streak spanning two years and 17 days.
The Redbacks have had the Mighties’ measure in four straight meetings but optimism is high in the camp that Saturday’s one-dayer can reverse that torrid recent history.
Their head-to-head race this season shapes as A Grade’s most fascinating finals storyline with big three clubs Norths, Brothers and Wests in superb form and cellar-dwellers Norths still chasing a breakthrough maiden win in the division from 22 attempts.