WEST Gambier will be out with a vengeance this week when it hosts South Gambier in Round 9 of Barber Shield cricket at Malseed Park.
Donning their whites for the two-day clash, the Roos will have last round’s upset loss to East Gambier fresh on their minds.
Going down to the Bulldogs by 11 runs, West’s top score for Round 8 came off the bat of Jake Blackwell, who was caught out on 38.
He was closely followed by Bowen Hosking with 34, while Niall Easterbrook was the next best with 16.
Richard Crute scored 15 runs to record the only other double-figure score for his team.
With West currently in second place on the premiership ladder, the Roos will be eager to remind their opposition why they sit in the top order.
Sam Willis, Hosking and Lachlan Brown were the top performers with the ball last round, each bagging two wickets for their efforts.
They will look to do the same, if not better this round as West looks for an easy win to restore its confidence.
The Demons will also be after redemption when they take to the pitch, having suffered at the hands of North Gambier in their last game.
Despite the loss, Robert Drenthen was able to tally a solid 72 runs, while Josh Thompson made his half-century with 55.
With the ball, Bryce Whicker claimed three scalps, an effort he will be eager to replicate this round.
He will be joined by the likes of Drenthen, Camron Jorgenson and Dylan Clough, who all bagged wickets against the Tigers.
South sits on only two wins for the season, but it is not impossible to make finals.
With just percentage separating it from fourth-placed Mil lel, who face North this round, the Demons’ chance will likely hinge on the final minor round.
If both teams record losses to the top sides this round, South and Mil Lel will go head-to-head in Round 10 over two days in a fight for a place in finals.
However, with last round’s upset, a win for the Demons this week could see some drastic changes in the leaderboard at both ends of the table.
The result may all come down to who starts at the crease on day one, but West will go into the round as the favourite.
