Bruthen will head into the Bairnsdale Cricket Association “B” grade grand final at Bullumwal Road against Lucknow this Saturday as warm favourites.
The Redbacks have enjoyed a near-perfect season, suffering only one loss to Wy Yung, their nemesis in last year’s decider, but have otherwise cruised into the big dance.
Lucknow, by contrast, has endured four defeats and has not yet tested itself against Bruthen as their home-and-away fixture was washed out.
The Redbacks boast massive batting depth, with Will Matthews, Rhys Kennedy, Kaleb Hodson, Josh Weeks, Jack Hodson and Dylan Collings all capable of posting big scores.
Kennedy topped the competition with 580 runs at 82.86 and was named Cricketer of the Year.
Their bowling attack is equally formidable, led by Graeme Gardam and Cec Matthews, a new-ball duo rarely struggling to take the initial breakthrough.
Lucknow has a balanced mix of experience and youth, led by Ben Powell and Hayden Brown, while youngsters Oakley Hughes, Fletcher Watt and Charlie Moss are eager to impress with the Magpie clan watching closely.
All signs point to Bruthen, but finals pressure can produce surprising results, which Lucknow will hope to capitalise on.
In “C” grade, Sarsfield will aim to go back-to-back when it takes on Wy Yung at Peppercorn Park.
It will also chase a 10th consecutive win, including a narrow round-14 victory over the Tigers, when it chased 197 with six balls to spare.
Wy Yung will enter the decider with plenty of belief, led by Venkat Narayanan and Alex Confait in peak form and capable of posting a big score.
Sarsfield has Rajamtha Dissanayake in its ranks, who scored 424 runs and took 15 wickets to claim Cricketer of the Year honours. Skipper Craig O’Brien brings experience, able to score heavily and bag wickets when required.
Expect 30 entertaining overs, with the match likely to be decided late in the afternoon.
