James Murphy
MIL LEL v NORTH SPORTSMAN’S 4/314
A FEW shot weeks ago Mil Lel sat on top of the Barber Shield ladder.
Last round had them drop into third place and now they face a tough batting task against North Sportsman’s.
The Tigers set an imposing 314-run total on Day 1, losing only four wickets on their way thanks to a Michael Johnston century (131-not-out) and an 84-run effort from Nick McInerney.
Now Mil Lel will pad up and face an in-form North bowling attack.
Will Rowland has been one to watch with the bat and he will want to fire again, while captain Jack Miller has been a confident leader this season.
In their last two-day outing, Mil Lel posted a solid 247 first-innings runs, but that was against bottom-placed Penola.
Rowland made 71 runs on that occasion, while Archer Virtanen was also strong with 41.
They will look to step up again, while the whole order will feel the pressure of the reaching such a big target.
For North Nick McInerney will hope to back up his batting performance with the ball.
He has plenty of wickets under his belt this season and will be dangerous again on Saturday.
Joined by the likes of Elliott Fisher, Isaac Mulraney, Tim Young and Declan Kenny, the Tigers have depth to spare in the bowling department.
Mil Lel should be able to put a strong performance together on home ground, but it will be a far reach to chase down North’s Day 1 total.
