Full guide to the battle for 2024 finals spots in SACA Premier Cricket
With only two rounds of two-day SACA Premier Cricket remaining, the fight for finals is tight in both division one and division two. We’ve taken a look at each club’s run home and unpacked what they must do to make finals this season.
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The 2023-2024 SACA Premier Cricket season has reached the business end and a number of clubs remain in with a realistic shot at a two-day finals spot in both of the competition’s two men’s divisions.
With just 10 points separating fourth and seventh in division one and 20 points (one game) separating third and fifth in division two, entire seasons now rest on the final two match weeks.
Here is our guide to the remainder of the season leading up to the two-day finals series for competing clubs.
DIVISION ONE
GLENELG (first, 125 points)
Glenelg has sewn up yet another finals appearance despite a loss to West Torrens in round eight and will likely hold on to top spot through the final two rounds.
The Seahorses have been led by a stacked batting order including Jake Winter, Danny Irvine, Conor McInerney, Liam Scott, Ben Bullimore and Josh Croom, while an attack featuring players like Isaac Higgins, Harry Conway, Will Bowering and Josh Pengelley has also been damaging,
A win over Woodville will seal a top two spot for Glenelg, while a win over both Woodville in round nine and Kensington in round 10 will see the club take top spot heading into the postseason.
ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY (second, 85 points)
A straightforward win over East Torrens kept the Blacks in the top two over the weekend and they now prepare for big matches against sixth placed Port Adelaide and fifth spot Tea Tree Gully.
The side will likely need to win one of those games to seal a finals spot, with both the Bulls and the Magpies playing East Torrens in their other matches.
The club will be looking for big performances from all-rounder Sam Kerber as well as star bowler Ethan Bamber after his 6/59 performance last weekend.
WEST TORRENS (third, 80 points)
The Eagles have put together a solid season so far and should begin to fully hit their straps once more star players become available during finals.
An impressive win over Glenelg last weekend kept the side in third place and a win over fourth spot Kensington in round nine would all but seal a top four spot.
If the club defeats the Browns and Woodville in rounds nine and 10 it could then move up to first with two Glenelg losses.
If the Eagles lose one of those match-ups they could drop down to fourth, and if they lose both matches they face the chance of missing the top four depending on the results of teams below them such as Kensington, Tea Tree Gully and Port Adelaide.
KENSINGTON (fourth, 70 points)
Kensington remains a strong chance at finals, holding a 10-point gap over Tea Tree Gully.
The Browns will now face West Torrens away from home in round nine and Glenelg away in round 10 – two enormous tests.
The return of Lloyd Pope to the attack proved timely for the side against Woodville, the star spinner taking 6/63 in 30 overs.
If Pope can continue that form in the coming fixtures and captain Josh Doyle can get back to his best with the bat, the club could grab one of the upset wins it likely needs to make the top four.
TEA TREE GULLY (fifth, 60 points)
The Bulls put up a valiant fight behind an impressive 167 runs from Martin Andersson against Port Adelaide last weekend but could not get over the line to take third spot on the ladder and will now need to string results together to remain in the finals frame.
TTG will take on East Torrens in round nine before taking on Adelaide Uni in the final minor round of the season.
A win against East Torrens and a loss to Adelaide Uni could still be enough for the Bulls to make the top four if Kensington loses to both Glenelg and West Torrens, but the side would prefer to win both matches to give itself the best chance.
PORT ADELAIDE (sixth, 55 points)
Port Adelaide’s matchup with Adelaide Uni in the coming round looks set to ultimately decide the club’s fate this season.
A win over the Blacks could see the Magpies move up the ladder before its match with East Torrens, which it will likely also need to win.
The side will also need Tea Tree Gully and Kensington to drop points.
Isaac Conway and Daniel Khan were both excellent with the bat to tally centuries last round while star captain Cam Valente should step up with both bat and ball through the remaining fixtures.
WOODVILLE (seventh, 50 points)
Woodville would be disappointed with its round eight loss to Kensington, with the side now needing a win over either Glenelg in round nine and West Torrens in round 10 to give itself a shot at finals.
With both matches being at home, two wins does not seem impossible but remains highly unlikely.
If West Torrens defeats Kensington in round nine, a win over Glenelg and the Eagles could give Woodville a finals appearance but the side would still need either Port Adelaide or Tea Tree Gully to drop points.
DIVISION TWO
STURT (first, 165 points)
Sturt achieved a dominant win over Prospect last weekend to secure a top three spot but can still impact the division two ladder through the final two rounds.
The Blues will face fourth placed Southern District in round nine, with the Stingrays needing a win to keep their finals chances alive before they play Prospect in round 10.
The side will then take on second place Northern Districts in the final round of the season before finals in a match which could see the Jets drop to third if Adelaide wins out and they also lose to SACA U19s in round nine.
NORTHERN DISTRICTS (second, 120 points)
Having just topped the Adelaide at home in round eight, Northern Districts will clash with the SACA U19s at Karen Rolton Oval in round nine.
A win would secure a top two finish for the Jets and keep the top spot within reach providing they can secure an outright win over Sturt in round 10, while a loss could ultimately end with the side finishing in third spot if Adelaide wins out to end the season.
ADELAIDE (third, 85 points)
The Buffaloes are expected to defeat Prospect in round nine, a result which would likely secure the team’s finals spot for this season.
Southern District wins over Sturt and Prospect could also threaten Adelaide’s chances if it was to lose its round nine clash with Prospect and its round 10 clash with the SACA U19s.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT (fourth, 60 points)
The Stingrays will need a win over Sturt in the upcoming matchweek if it wants to make finals.
The side would remain in touch with Adelaide with a win over the Blues and would leapfrog Adelaide with either a standard win or outright win over Prospect, providing Adelaide loses one of its final two matches.
SACA U19s (fifth, 60 points)
The side will look to bounce back after its disappointing loss to Southern Districts last weekend when it clashes with Northern Districts in an attempt to peg the second spot Jets back and close the gap on Adelaide.
An U19s loss in the final two rounds would all but rule them out of finals, but wins over Northern Districts and Adelaide would see them make the top three if Southern District drops a game.
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