MILDURA West coach Davison Mbindi knows only too well the firepower that Mildura Settlers possess with the bat.
He has seen it twice this season, firstly when Luke Stanbrook blasted 98 off 71 balls to secure a comfortable win, and then in a Twenty20 fixture, when the likes of Jason Morrison cut loose to knock up 167 at more than eight an over.
But heading into today’s crucial clash against the Sunraysia cricket powerhouse, Mbindi said Mildura West’s focus was not on the talent of the opposition, but on their own game plan, which has served them well in the run to the finals.
West have surged back into finals contention in recent weeks and sit in fifth place on the SCA ladder, just five points behind Coomealla-Wentworth, with four rounds of the season remaining.
“It’s definitely a big game for us,” Mbindi said of today’s one-day fixture on their home deck at John Hall Oval.
“What we have done is try and take the focus off the opponents and keep it on our plans, bowling in our areas and putting the fielders in areas where we know they like to hit.
“If we stick to our guns and hit our targets as a team, we should be OK.
“They have some talented players and with talented players, you can only do so much.
“But it’s in our control to keep hitting good areas, build dot balls and pressure and limit them to a score that we can chase.”
West enter today’s match with a near full-strength team, with former skipper Chris Williams at the top of the order in particularly good form.
Mbindi said a focus this year had been on structured training sessions, and Thursday’s “high intensity” session was one of their best for the season.
“It was amazing. That is one of the things we have been working on and we are getting these things right, and (as a result) winning matches,” he said.
“We know we stand a chance against these good sides. Upsets do happen as we saw with Irymple losing to Coomy, so we are really looking forward to the game.”
Mildura Settlers sit in third place on the ladder, 15 points clear of Mildura West, but 25 points behind second-placed Irymple.
