Sport
2 November, 2023
Colts and Carisbrook play off to keep T20 season alive
A potential grand final berth is on the line for both Carisbrook and Colts Phelans at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve tomorrow. The equation is somewhat different for both teams, in terms of what they will need to rely on. Carisbrook simply need to...
A potential grand final berth is on the line for both Carisbrook and Colts Phelans at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve tomorrow.
The equation is somewhat different for both teams, in terms of what they will need to rely on.
Carisbrook simply need to win, rely on Laanecoorie Dunolly continuing their long unbeaten run and defeating Beaufort, and maintain their quotient above Clunes in the event of the Magpies beating the Owls.
For Colts Phelans, it’s a lot more complicated. Not only do they need to win, but they also need to rely on the Crows losing, as well as Clunes. Should they achieve that, it would be a third consecutive grand final meeting between Colts and Laane, having done battle twice in 2022/23.
Colts come into this game in winning form, having defeated Clunes by seven wickets with four balls to spare.
Maintaining a consistent spread of runscorers across the top order has been a challenge for Colts early on this season, but last Saturday, it appeared they had taken a step in the right direction.
Rhys Wagstaff added to his list of good scoring across the early part of the season, scoring 36 runs to maintain second position on the run-scoring charts, while Dave Robinson also continued his consistent run so far, scoring 36 of his own.
Captain Dayne Baker has already established himself as an early contender for higher honours, helping Colts win the game thanks to an unbeaten 30, which included five fours.
Baker currently lies 13th in the league for run-scoring, but second in wickets, having collected another two to take his tally to eight for the season.
Carisbrook come off their toughest day of the season so far against Laane, but the positive for the Brookers was their ability to continue fighting.
With the ball, however, they faced a genuine challenge in trying to break the partnership between Luke Smith and Tom Hannett, one which ultimately saw them bat throughout the entirety of their innings.
Carisbrook had their battles with the bat, but eventually recorded a score of 104, with Dean Nalder continuing his solid start to the season with 52 runs, which has helped him lie sixth in the competition for runs with 128.
However, if they are to beat Colts, they could well be in the box seat to set the scene for a grand final appearance — which would be an incredible result in their return to A grade.