By Lachlan Onions
Finals cricket is here and Penola will look to continue its premiership defence this weekend when it travels to West Gambier for a do-or-die semi-final.
Day 1 of the clash will take place on Saturday, before players resume for Day 2 on Sunday with a grand final spot on the line.
The Eagles’ form has drastically dropped since the resumption of the season after the Christmas break and after a strong start to the campaign, ended the regular season in fourth place.
In the last three games, Penola has won one and lost two.
However, the Eagles will take confidence that their only win during the period was over West Gambier.
The Roos on the other hand, have had a stranglehold on top spot since the start of the season and have rarely missed a beat.
West ended the home and away season with six wins and two losses, while Penola ended with four wins and three defeats.
In the two clashes between these two sides this season, the results have been split with one win each.
Back in Round 3, West claimed a comprehensive 58-run win, while in Round 10, Penola got home by one wicket.
The first clash saw Penola bowled out cheaply in a one-dayer before the Roos flexed their strength and scored 186 runs from 40 overs.
The second contest was one of the matches of the season and momentum ebbed and flowed throughout.
The Eagles put themselves in an ideal position early as they bowled West out for 132 but the hosts claimed late wickets to hang the match in the balance after Day 1.
Day 2 saw the Eagles in trouble at 4/36 but the lower-order pushed through a survived a late scare to claim a first-innings win by the barest of margins.
With the bat, there are four players who will likely have a major impact on proceedings.
Penola’s Drew Clayfield and Jack Mullan have been perennial threats this season, while Nuwan Gunawardana and Jake Blackwell have the ability to take the game away from their opposition.
Gunawardana has scored the second-most runs out of any batter this year, while Clayfield’s batting average of 38.14 is second only to East’s Dion Stratford.
With the ball, both sides have an array of talent.
West’s Sam Willis leads the competition for wickets taken with 29 scalps at an average of 5.24.
Willis enters this clash in fine form off the back of his dominant display against Mil Lel where he claimed nine wickets across two innings.
Bray Stephenson and Trent Badman are also players to watch out for from the hosts.
Back in Round 3, Stephenson ripped through Penola’s lineup and guided the Roos to victory with four wickets.
For the Eagles, Lachy Jones has been a threat with the new ball, while Jack Mullan has also been dangerous as their main spinner.
Mullan claimed five wickets last time these two teams met and will be a key player with bat and ball for the visitors.
Both sides will be confident they can come away with a result and book a grand final berth but West Gambier’s dominance this season means it will go in as the favourite.
