By Lachlan Onions
WEST Gambier and Mil Lel will face-off at Malseed Park over the next two Saturday’s in the final round of this season’s Barber Shield.
It has been a difficult year for Mil Lel and will be playing for pride this weekend as it is out of the finals picture.
However, they can spoil the party for the Roos who will be looking to seal top spot on the ladder with a win.
In the two fixtures between Mil Lel and West this season, the Roos have won both games off the back of strong bowling performances.
Back in Round 1, West Gambier claimed a 127-run win at home after it bowled Mil Lel out for 93.
Then, in the reverse fixture at Frew Park, the Roos bowled out Mil Lel for 51 on a pitch where bowlers dominated with 17 wickets falling for just 109 runs.
However, despite the fact it has been a difficult year for the Frew-Park-based side, they will still enter this contest full of belief after their comprehensive first-innings victory over South Gambier in Round 10.
In tomorrow’s contest, the visitors will look to Craig Lock to do the damage with the bat after his half-century two weeks ago.
With the ball, Logan Gibbs and Nick Walters will loo to continue their form which saw them take eight wickets between them against the Demons.
For West, the depth is endless, Nuwan Gunawardana has been a constant threat at the top of the order and scored 73 runs in Round 10.
Gunawardana also leads the league in runs scored with 281 at an average of 28.1.
He will be supported by Justin de Jong and Jake Blackwell, who have impressed with the bat this season.
West’s strength is not just limited to batters, with Bray Stephenson and Sam Willis two of the strongest pace bowlers this season.
Willis has taken the second-most wickets out of any bowler this season with 20 scalps at an incredible average of just 6.5, while Stephenson averages 12.36 with the ball and has claimed 14 wickets.
Despite Mil Lel being rejuvenated after it claimed its first win of the season last weekend, the Roos should prove too strong and will claim a relatively easy victory to seal the minor premiership.
