A HANDFUL of potential opponents is a lot to prepare for, but Gol Gol captain Adam Thomson says his side will keep an open mind leading into Sunday’s Sunraysia Cricket Association one-day final.
The ladder leaders are already secured a play-off berth, but five of the remaining seven teams are still in the hunt for other place ahead of Saturday’s regular-season contests.
Irymple currently have the edge thanks to sharing the points in their washed out one-day contest with Gol Gol, but Nichols Point, Mildura Settlers, Mildura West and Coomealla Wentworth could all potentially overtake the Swallows depending on results.
While the one-day ladder is incorporated into the overall home-and-away table, separate standings are also kept to help determine the 40-over champions.
Weather predictions early in the week suggest the heat rule could come into play: a blow for Gol Gol considering their contest with Irymple 12 months ago was washed out.
Thomson said his side would focus on what they controlled, beginning with Saturday’s game against Merbein at Alcheringa Oval.
“It’s a tough one” he said.
“It’s really open as to who it will be so we’ll be keeping a close eye on the scoreboards on Saturday night.
“We’ll obviously keep an open mind and just focus on ourselves in the lead-in.
“Especially when a few things are up in the air, having the knowledge that we’re safe at the top of the ladder and we’re playing at home Sunday makes things a bit easier.
“We’ve never won a one-day final.
“I think Irymple have gotten us a couple of times and knocked us over pretty cheaply, then obviously we had the washout last year, so it would be nice to finally take one out.”
Gol Gol are hopeful of Wade Hancock’s return after the premier batsman missed last weekend’s double-header with a quadriceps injury.
The reigning premiers’ impressive performance with the ball against Coomealla Wentworth last Sunday, rolling the Blues for 78, also gives them cause for optimism this weekend.
“Last Saturday was the first time I’d played at Mildura Sporting Precinct and it was a deck that produced a fair bit of spin, so we were able to utilise the spinners a bit more in that game against Mildura East which probably helped to keep the fast bowlers fresh for the Sunday game, with Matt Cameron also coming in,” Thomson said.
“Looking at the scoreboard I think that worked for us because they were able to get Coomealla Wentworth out fairly quickly.”
Gol Gol have also qualified for the division 2 one-day final at Sarah Oval, and while Mildura East are the favourites to meet them there, Merbein, Mildura West and Coomealla Wentworth are all just a win adrift ahead of Saturday’s games.
Both games on Sunday will begin at 1pm.
