After starting the season slowly, Coro Cougars will be looking to tighten their grip on a top-four position when they take on Exies at West End Oval on Saturday afternoon.
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The Cougars were only able to pick up one point from their first five games before going on a run which sees them unbeaten five games.
While the run features two games which were abandoned without a ball being bowled, captain Rob Rand was pleased with his sides run over the last seven weeks.
“It was just the case of a slow start,” he said.
“I was always pretty confident that we would be able to turn it around once we found our stride.”
While Coro will be missing a couple of players including Lucas Conlan, one of there keys to success will be back in town for their clash with Exies.
“Jamie (Bennett) has been having a great season,” he said.
“Having someone with his experience around the side has been great.”
Over the course of the Cougars successful run, Bennett has answered the call when needed posting scores of 82 and 46 while he was also able to post a fifty during the tricky start to the season which sees the 49-year-old veteran sitting second in first grade run scoring this season.
Both of Bennett’s fifties this season have come against Exies, and a third would put his side in a good position.
Exies will be coming into the game with confidence after ending their run of five games without a victory.
Rand knows what his side will have to do if they are to have success.
“We have to be careful with their top order,” he said.
“The key for us will be taking early wickets and not letting them get away to a good start.”
In the two meetings between the two sides earlier in the season, Exies were able to take out the 40-over encounter while Coro claimed an outright win in the timed match. The first ball will be bowled at West End Oval at 1pm on Saturday.
Umpire appointments
Friday
Second grade
6.00pm start – Diggers v Leagues at Exies 1 Doug Cattanach and Don Coleman
Saturday
First grade
1.00pm start – Coro V Exies at West End: Garry Tucker and Richie Alvaro
4.30pm start – Diggers v Hanwood at Exies 1: Peter Davis and Scott Smith
Second Grade – 1pm start
Exies v Coleambally at Coly Doug Cattanach
Hanwood v Coro at Hanwood Glen Bock and Don Coleman
Sunday
Creet Cup: Griffith v Hay at Exies 1: Peter Davis and Richie Alvaro