By Lachlan Onions
CRICKET season is well and truly in the swing of things and the third round of the Big Bash is set to take place on Thursday evening.
Penola will host Mil Lel at McCorquindale park in a contest where the home side will go in as favourites.
The Eagles are two from two in the Big Bash and have begun to spread their wings in the Barber Shield as well, while Mil Lel has also claimed wins in the first two clashes of the Big Bash.
Brad Talbot and Logan Gibbs will be players to watch for the visitors and will look to do the damage with the bat.
For Penola, Jack Mullan and Drew Clayfield will be pivotal with the bat, while Mullan will also be a player to watch with the ball as well.
Michael Waters will also be a player to watch after he took 4/14 in Round 2.
The Eagles have been strong with the bat this season and will look to build on their 143 they scored last time out.
Despite an impressive start to the Big Bash, Mil Lel will not have enough strength for Penola, who should see a win comfortably.
Back on the Mount, there will be two clashes set to take place at 5.20pm.
North Sportsman’s will host South Gambier at the picturesque Marist Park.
It has been a difficult start to the campaign for the Tigers, who have lost both games, while the Demons will look to bounce back after their comprehensive defeat to West Gambier in Round 2.
In its last clash at the Blue Lake Sports Park, the Demons lost 10 wickets for 17 runs in a collapse of epic proportions.
Both sides have yet to win a game in the first two rounds and a loss here will thwart any chances of a grand final appearance.
Robbie Drenthen will be a key player with bat and ball for the Demons and will look to kickstart is Big bash season after quiet games in the first two rounds.
Jake Hollis and Jakob Opie will also be players to watch for the Demons, while North will look to Isaac Mulraney and Declan Kenny to make an impact with the ball in hand.
In what should be an entertaining encounter, the Demons will claim their first victory of the year.
The match of the round will take place at Alan Scott Parks when heavyweights East Gambier and West Gambier do battle.
Both teams have won a single game this season and a victory will go a long way towards making a grand final berth with just five rounds in the competition.
The Kangaroos head into this clash on a high after its dominant 84-run win last time out.
Jake Blackwell will look to back up his impressive display two weeks ago when he scored 52 runs off 40 balls.
West will also look to Trent Badman, who claimed four wickets against South Gambier.
For East Gambier, Alex Hentschke and Dion Stratford will be pivotal.
Stratford has been one of the most in-form batters in the association this year, while Hentschke has always been a threat with the ball and can make handy contributions with the bat as well.
This game could go either way and a winner is anyone’s guess.
