Wet weather worries for Coast cricket
THE finals countdown is on but with teams jostling for post-season positioning, Mother Nature looks to be the biggest hurdle.
With two rounds to play six teams remain in the running for the Kookaburra Cup top four, but finals outsiders Helensvale and Burleigh need everything to go right for them to have a chance.
Helensvale sits on 64 points, 12 back from Surfers Paradise and Runaway Bay, while Burleigh is on 60 points.
Helensvale was dealt an early blow on Friday morning when Cricket Gold Coast confirmed Hession Oval would not be playable for Saturday’s match with Alberton Ormeau due to wet weather.
It leaves Helensvale praying for sunshine next weekend, and at minimum a first innings victory.
Burleigh’s season meanwhile rests on the result of its match with Surfers Paradise.
A loss would immediately remove Burleigh from the finals equation – and make Helensvale’s life more difficult – while simultaneously strengthening Surfers’ hold on its top four spot.
But a Burleigh win would set up a mouth-watering final-round matchup with Helensvale.
Similarly, Surfers Paradise and Runaway Bay meet in the last regular season encounter with the winner likely assured of a finals spot.