Top gun mission possible

Coast plan to limit swing king for a second time

GOLD Coast are confident they have devised a game plan to negate lethal University of Queensland left-armer Scott Walter ahead of their underdog semi-final mission at St Lucia today.

Having secured their first Queensland Premier Cricket playoff start since 2013-14, the Dolphins’ first grade side will head into the two-day battle with the minor premiers as outsiders but high on belief.

The visitors are riding a three-game winning streak and have already beaten their three finals rivals – UQ, Ipswich-Logan and Wests – this season. While there were limited-overs wins over the Hornets and Bulldogs, the Coast’s crowning glory came with a five-wicket upset of UQ in October’s second two-dayer at WEP Harris Oval.

The efforts of Xavier Bartlett

(4-42) and batting pillars Max Bryant (71) and Hugo Burdon (54) were instrumental on that occasion but it was the Dolphins’ ability to keep Walter (0-41) wicketless across 16 overs that proved as crucial.

The former Queensland quick has dominated the competition for almost a decade and has 62 wickets at 14.26 this season, including an incredible haul of 9-15 against Redlands last month. But having kept him at bay once, the Dolphins are sure they can do it again.

“We’re the only team all season to hold Scott Walter wicketless when we played them,” coach Chris Swan said.

“He took 9-15 at one stage this season so we’ve got a nice game plan which will hold up against them. We’ve beaten Wests and Uni of Queensland and they finished above us so we have expectations of what we can do on any given day.

“The pressure may be off a bit but I’m sure the boys will like the pressure-cooker environment of the semi finals.”

A key member of the side that won Gold Coast’s first topgrade title in 2002-03, Swan said the Dolphins had already defied the odds after losing senior squad members Kevin Chapman, Trent Arnold, Josh

Nelson, Howard Biddle, Matt Phillips and Oscar Richardson at the end of 2018-19.

“It’s bloody great (to be playing finals). Whether this year is our year or not, I’m not sure many would’ve tipped us to make the semi finals considering we lost two-and-ahalf thousands runs and 100 wickets at the start of the season,” he said. “To see us where we finished, it’s a great reward for these blokes’ efforts.”

Play begins at 10am today and tomorrow.