WHO CAN STOP THE CHAMPS?
CAN anyone stop Atherton
Cricket Club?
The Tablelanders have already claimed this season’s two-day and one-day shields, with the Twenty20 premiership all that stands between them and another Cricket Far North trifecta
Atherton defeated Rovers in January’s two-day grand final before taking a five-wicket victory over the same side in Sunday’s one-day decider.
They are now ready to add this season’s T20 title to their collection and repeat their 2017/18 Cricket Far North heroics, in which they claimed the trophy in all three formats.
Skipper Tommy Boorman was upbeat about a clean sweep, saying there was nothing to say the club couldn’t win all three.
The weekend’s grand final hero Paul Nasser said the team was determined to sweep the competition again.
“We did it two years ago and it was probably the best feeling, so we’ve got to try and work hard and push towards that,” he said.
Atherton have been the competition’s benchmark side all season, dropping just two games across the two-day and one-day competitions, while also finding ways to come up trumps in the big games.
Barron captain Daniel Freebody said Atherton had all the key ingredients for success, not only now but into the future.
“I think one of the biggest things for them this season is they’ve had two young guys really stand up in Paul Nasser and Chris Adams,” said the rival skipper. “It’s made them go to the next level.
“They’re also very disciplined with their bowling – if they make the runs, they know they’ll be able to defend it with their bowling.”
But, while Atherton have been the benchmark side all season, the fickle nature of Twenty20 cricket could make for an unpredictable end to the season.
Cricket Far North’s firstgrade T20 competition gets under way this weekend, with triple-headers to be played at Atherton’s Loder Park and Tully’s Miller Oval this Saturday.