By Trevor Jackson
PENOLA V WEST GAMBIER
PENOLA will hope to use its home ground advantage at McCorquindale Park to advantage on Saturday in the final minor round of Barber Shield cricket.
The Eagles are out of the final race and face the top-placed West Gambier, but will want to avoid the wooden spoon at all costs.
Penola has recorded just one victory this season and last time they faced the Roos, it was not pretty.
The one-day Round 7 clash saw a strong performance by West with both bat and ball, having won the toss and wielding the willow first up.
Half-centuries to Nuwan Gunawardana and Sam Willis saw the Roos chalk up 247 runs for just seven wickets from the 40 overs.
The Eagles could do little to stop the carnage, with only Lewis March claiming multiple wickets, with 2/34 off five overs.
However, it was with the ball in hand where West wreaked havoc.
Michael Waters was the only shining light for Penola, with 34 runs off 40 deliveries and the only batsmen to reach double figures.
Three ducks, with one of those golden in colour, did not help the situation, but it was a five-wicket haul to Sam Willis which did the damage.
Willis finished with ridiculous figures of 5/6 off six overs, starting with Finley MacColl at number five, right through to Ned Skeer at number nine.
It was an impressive spell, which saw Penola collapse to 10/74 in the 25th over.
While it will be hard for Willis to replicate that effort, the Roos are a certainty to win and will kick off with a solid effort with bat or ball on day one of play on Saturday.
