Thomson can do it
THOMSON captain- coach Sam Stoneley says a late declaration from Torquay has given his side the edge in the crucial run-chase today.
Thomson survived a tricky seven-over period before stumps last week, wiping away 16 runs without the loss of a wicket, and Stoneley believes his team has the upper hand.
“I feel like they shouldn’t have declared,” he said.
“They were definitely within their rights to declare, but with the ground and the wicket, it might be in our favour. But you never know what you’re going to get with the weather.”
Posting 9-227 from 74 overs, Torquay declared in search of quick wickets.
But Alex Banks and Tom Cockerell negotiated the new ball, leaving 211 runs to win at Spring Creek Reserve.
“We’ve got 85 overs to chase 200, so we’re basically looking at 2.3 (runs) an over,” Stoneley said.
“As a batsman you’ve just got to take your time, wait for the bad ball and put the bad ball away. We’ve definitely got the potential to score past 226, but it just depends on who turns up on the day.
“If they turn up as a bowling group and do well, it’s going to be hard to score. If they don’t turn up, it will be easy to score.”
Torquay bids to retain its place at the top of the table, while Thomson is desperate to close the gap.
“We’ve got an opportunity to beat the top side in the league. We won’t give it up and we won’t hand it to them on a plate,” Stoneley said.
“It’s going to be a good game of cricket.”