Tara Murray
Hoppers Crossing got the perfect preparation for its return to Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association north-west finals, beating arch rival Werribee on Saturday.
For much of the season, the final round clash between the two Wyndham teams seemed like it would decide who would play finals.
But as luck would have it, both teams qualified for finals in the second last round, meaning the final round was for position only.
It was the Cats that would take bragging rights into the final, winning quite easily.
The Cats made 7-204 from their overs with Sanka Ramesh Abeyruwan top scoring with 80 in the middle of the order.
Finlay Cowell was the pick of the bowlers for the Tigers, taking 4-46.
The Tigers batters never got going and were bowled out for 108 with Jonathan Burton top scoring with 25 not out.
Fawad Ahmed and Brett Smith took three wickets for the Cats.
Cats captain-coach Simon Lambert said they were starting to put some of their best cricket together at the right end of the season.
He said like many others thought their finals fate would come down to the final game of the season.
“The last couple of weeks could have gone either of two ways,” he said. “ We’ve won three or four of our last five games and come into finals with some good form and it was a good win yesterday.
”We’re starting to hit our straps at the right time of the season.”
Lambert said the side was looking for to the challenge against the Tigers, a side he said was always up for it.”
Lambert said their total was decent and they had backed their bowlers to do the job to get the win.
He said for them, it’s their betting that usually determines the result.
The win ensure the Cats finished in fourth spot, with the Tigers in fifth..
The Cats face Kew in the semi finals, with Lambert saying a top four spot was crucial come finals.
Lambert and several of his teammates have never played at Kew before.
“It gives you the chance of possibility getting the second chance, but hopefully we don’t need it,” he said.
“We’re pretty happy to play anywhere in the top six. We back ourselves to beat anyone.
“They’ve got a couple of off pace bowlers who have taken 30-40 wickets each and a couple of really good bats it’ll be interesting to see the depth around them,.
“We’ve got two leg spinners who we think can cover them and we’ve got three off spinners as well.
“If it’s better for the slower bowlers, it plays into our hands.”
Werribee will face Spotswood in its first final, a rematch of last season’s grand final.
The Tigers won the last time the two teams met.
Altona will face St Bernards in the other final.
