By Lachlan Onions
THIS Saturday will see North Sportsman’s take on Mil Lel for Day 1 of the Round 5 Barber Shield clash at Frew Park.
It has been a difficult season for these two sides as Mil Lel has lost all three games, while the Tigers have lost both of their games.
The hosts come into this game off the back of a loss to Penola, while North lost to South Gambier last time out.
For North, Nick McInerney, Declan Kenny and Isaac Mulraney will be the players to watch, while Mil Lel will look to Brad Talbot, Jack Miller and Logan Gibbs.
Gibbs has scored 66 runs this campaign and taken five wickets in the shield, while Talbot will look to build on his 45 he scored in the first round of the Big Bash.
Miller can contribute with bat and bowl and will he hope he can help fix Mil Lel’s weakness this season – which has been batting.
Miller’s side has lost 30 wickets this campaign for just 256 runs, at an average of one wicket every 8.5 runs scored.
This is an area which Mil Lel crucially needs to fix if it wants to stay in the finals hunt.
The Tigers have also struggled at times with the bat but not to the same extent.
McInerney has yet to set the competition alight with the bat this season but he has continued to be a weapon with the ball.
The Tigers captain took 4/25 against East Gambier in Round 3 and nearly helped his side claim an unlikely win on that day.
Kenny and Mulraney have also made their impact felt with the ball this season and fronted the bowling attack against the Demons.
Last season saw North win one game against Mil Lel and the other contest ended in a draw.
Both sides will be desperate for a win and the Tigers will go in as slight favourites in this contest.
