PENOLA sits in the box seat heading into the second day of its round nine Barber Shield meeting with East Gambier at McCorquindale Park.
The Eagles spread their wings in day one, opening with the bat to post an impressive 4/286 at the end of the allotted 80 overs.
A 138-run haul from the in-form David Somerfield made up the bulk of the total, while consistent runs from the other five batsmen on the day helped the side on its way.
For the Bulldogs, who have not breached the 200-run mark this season and rely heavily on captain Dion Stratford to bolster the score each week, the target is a daunting one.
The last two-day fixture saw Stratford open with 40 runs in a loss to North Sportsman’s, while a 35 from Simon Golebiowski held up the bottom order to reach a total of just 144.
If East is to stand a chance tomorrow, it will need a solid performance across the board, something it has struggled with in 2018-19.
And if the Eagles’ bowlers have anything to say, the day could be a short one, as Penola has show probably the most consistent bowling lineup in Barber Shield this season.
There is no shortage of capable wicket takers, with last round’s one-day format boasting scalps from six players.
Michael Waters, Jack Mullan and Lewis March took two each and will hope to carry that form into tomorrow.
Waters and Somerfield were the standouts in the last two-day match, bagging three wickets each.
Each of these players will look to fire again and provide a challenge for the Bulldogs.
Based on current form the game is all but decided, with East needing to pull something big out of the bag if it is to come close to its second win.
