James Murphy
PENOLA v NORTH SPORTSMAN’S
NORTH Sportsman’s enters the opening day of Round 4 undefeated after three games of Barber Shield cricket.
After finishing fifth last season the Tigers are now level on wins for the entire 2022-23 campaign and look to be a front runner this year.
Up against Penola at McCorquindale Park, they could be in for another successful result.
The Eagles have had a slow start to the competition and currently sit at the bottom of the ladder without a win.
Their biggest score so far came in Round 1 against North, but their 190 runs was not enough to chase down the Tigers.
Since then Penola has faltered against Mil Lel and most recently East Gambier, all in the one-day format.
Now with a two-day clash on their hands, the Eagles will aim to start well and set themselves up for a good contest.
There is plenty of talent in both the batting and bowling rosters.
Jack Mullan is yet to reach his full potential with the bat, but a big score could be just around the corner for the Eagles’ opener.
Michael Waters has been relatively consistent with both bat and ball, while Drew Clayfield was the top run maker in Round 1.
Gerard Merrett has also been handy with ball in hand and claimed three wickets against North in the previous encounter.
North had a well-rounded performance in the season opener, with Brad Robinson, Nick McInerney and Declan Kenny putting up credible scores, while Alex Hutton, Isaac Mulraney and Mitchell Lewis also broke into double figures.
McInerney continues to be a jack-of-all-trades and his bowling has been solid as well.
Kenny had a four-wicket haul in Round 2, while Mulraney has also been a consistent wicket taker.
The Tigers will enter the round as favourites and should be in for a good day out on Saturday, be it with bat or ball.
