Coast sides face up on field of dreams
SIDES SET FOR METRICON FINAL
ALBERTON Ormeau captain Corey Galloway says he will be living the dream of every grassroots cricketer across the country when he steps into Cricket Gold Coast folklore at Metricon Stadium tonight.
Galloway’s Hurricanes will square off against Southport Labrador in the final of the pre-season T20 competition from 7pm, the first time CGC teams have played on the Metricon turf.
Both sides enter the game in red-hot form after fourstraight wins last month, defying their 2017-18 Kookaburra Cup results to earn a shot at the inaugural T20 title. All-rounder Galloway said the chance to play at Metricon, which will host the city’s first T20 international between Australia and South Africa next month, was one the Hurricanes were desperate to make the most of.
“We’re probably the smallest club in our competition so it’s a big achievement for our club and where we have come from last year (finishing last),” the 27-year-old, in his 13th season at the club, said.
“Especially for some of the young fellas – we have got a few 18-year-olds – it will be good for them to play somewhere like (Metricon). It’s not often you get to play on a ground like this where internationals and Big Bash are held.
“It will be really good for our club and will give us confidence going into the Kookaburra Cup. It probably looks like a surprise to some people (to make the final) but we have had a pretty big pre-season and looking at our team, I’m not surprised because we have put in the hard work.
“I think our fielding has been our best attribute … and doing the one-per-centers right. We do have plans for a few of (Southport’s) batsmen.
“Getting Nic Peterson out early (will be key). They rely on him a lot.”
While Peterson has been quiet by his standards with 83 runs in four T20 innings, Southport have picked up the slack as a team, with Wade Kilborn and Oli McGee (six wickets each) the only Tigers in the top 10 of the runscoring or wicket-taking charts.
Alberton’s Matthew Yiend has piled on 151 runs to sit second on the runscoring tally, while teammate Shane Connors has seven wickets, the competition’s fourth most.
Southport captain Simon Belston said the Tigers were looking forward to their Metricon experience.
“It’s an opportunity for Gold Coast cricketers to play in first class conditions and an opportunity to showcase our competition,” he said.