WORKERS Gol Gol will regain some key players for this weekend’s round 9 Sunraysia Cricket Association match against Mildura West as they look to break out of a mini-slump.
Last season’s runners-up have lost two of their past three games, including a round 8 loss to reigning premiers Settlers, and sit third on the ladder with five wins and three losses.
Captain-coach Adam Thomson believed his side could improve, although conceded they may not reach full strength until after Christmas.
“We think our best cricket is as good as anyone in the competition,” Thomson said.
“We’re struggling with a few injuries and unavailabilities at the moment so we should get a couple back in this week.
“Josh Deren and Jake Albrecht will be back, Bailey Pengelly as well, but we’re still missing Ben McPhee, Simon Groves and Matt Cameron – Matt got 40 wickets a couple of years ago so having him out of the side hurts us.”
The side has also suffered a setback with all-rounder Nick Jensen only able to play this week and gun batsman Wade Hancock only available for day two.
Workers Gol Gol are equal on points with Nichols Point and one game ahead of this round’s opponents.
“With all the Twenty20s at the start of the year it seems pretty jammed in the top four or five, so hopefully we can improve from our mistakes over the past couple of weeks and get a win on the board,” Thomson said.
He was expecting visiting Mildura West to rely heavily on spin, with the likes of Aaron Feroz, Thanura Rajapakse – against his old side, and Chris Williams likely to be prominent – harking back to the 2016-17 season when West made the grand final thanks in a big way to an import spinner leading their bowling.
“It probably takes you back to Ben Waring when he was there,” Thomson said.
“I expect them to open the bowling with spin and probably bowl off-spin all day from one end and probably rotate the bowlers at the other.”
