Full guide to the battle for finals spots in SACA Premier Cricket
With only one round of men’s SACA Premier Cricket remaining the fight for top four is tight. We’ve unpacked what each club must do to book a finals berth.
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The final round of SACA Premier Cricket is fast approaching and six sides are still battling for finals spots at the pointy end of the season.
With Sturt having locked down at least a top-three spot on the ladder, Kensington, Tea Tree Gully, Adelaide University, West Torrens and Glenelg will fight for the remaining three finals places.
One of the tightest Premier Cricket seasons in recent memory, a multitude of outcomes are possible depending on separate results.
Here is our guide to possible outcomes.
Sturt (first, 185 points)
The Blues have drastically improved on last season when they finished sixth on the ladder with 140 points.
The performance of the Kelly twins with both the ball and bat has played a significant role in the side’s rise to the top, as well as the consistency of captain Brad Davis.
They recently lost to second-spot Kensington by seven wickets despite a 99-run innings from Thomas Kelly, and will now face a Glenelg side which must win to make finals in the season’s last round.
Davis said the club was eager to seal the number one position.
“We definitely want to win and maintain momentum. Top spot isn’t guaranteed at all yet,” he said.
If the Blues can get a win, they will keep top spot, but if they lose and Kensington or Tea Tree Gully record an outright full-innings win (worth 30 points), the team drops to second.
If Kensington wins and Tea Tree Gully – which is third- records an outright win, Sturt would drop to third with a loss to Glenelg.
Kensington (second, 170 points)
Kensington can go top with a standard win – worth 20 points – if Sturt loses or draws with Glenelg.
The club’s victory over Sturt last weekend – thanks to a strong innings by Henry Hunt and a great spell with the ball by David Grant – could prove to be its biggest of the year.
Kensington will face Woodville in the final round, and a win would at least consolidate a top two finish heading into finals.
However, if they lose and Tea Tree Gully records a win against East Torrens, or one of Adelaide University or West Torrens achieves an outright win, they will drop out of the top two.
With its stars in strong form though, a Kensington loss looks highly unlikely.
Tea Tree Gully (third, 160 points)
The Bulls recorded a key win over Adelaide on the weekend thanks to a Tim Oakley 7/30 masterclass but will need another win this coming round to stay in the top four and the finals, disregarding any upset results.
If Adelaide Uni suffers a shock defeat to bottom team Southern District, Tea Tree Gully could cling on to a finals position with a loss.
This would also be the case if West Torrens lost to Adelaide.
If both the Blacks and the Eagles take care of business however, the Bulls need a win.
Alternatively, the Bulls could climb to second on the ladder with a win and a Kensington loss, or even to first spot with an outright win and a Kensington and Sturt loss.
Adelaide University (fourth, 145 points)
The Blacks played a tense draw with Glenelg last round, maintaining a 10-point lead over the Seahorses.
The result now sees the side level on points with fifth-placed West Torrens, meaning a win would be needed to ensure finals.
The team would be looking to outdo a much weaker Southern District in two innings to achieve an outright win for 30 points – an achievement which could see them finish second if both Tea Tree Gully and Kensington lose.
Uni could still drop out of the finals if they record a win, Kensington and Sturt win, and West Torrens record an outright win.
A Glenelg outright win could also see the Blacks drop out with a normal win, with the Seahorses sitting on a higher percentage.
West Torrens (fifth, 145 points)
The Eagles sit just below the Blacks after their bye and could finish as high as second if teams above them lose.
Coach Mark Harrity was not surprised to see the season come down to the final round.
“We definitely thought it was going to come down to the last game a few weeks ago and now here we are,” Harrity said.
“We need to perform as best we can and then hopefully we can sneak into the finals.”
West Torrens would first and foremost be hoping for an Adelaide Uni loss or a Tea Tree Gully loss, meaning it would only need to win to make the top four.
However, if Adelaide Uni records a win, the Eagles would need to win outright in order to leapfrog them into the finals.
The highest the Eagles could finish is second, but they would again need an outright win worth 30 points and would also need Uni to record a standard win and Kensington and Tea Tree Gully to lose.
Glenelg (sixth, 135 points)
Glenelg is still a solid chance to make finals, according to coach Sam McNally.
The Seahorses play top side Sturt in the last round and not only need to beat them, but also need losses from Adelaide University and West Torrens.
“We undoubtedly want to play finals and thankfully we’re still in the hunt,” McNally said.
“We need a few results to go our way still but we’re a top quality side, we expect to do well, and we believe we can give ourselves the best shot possible.”
If Adelaide Uni or West Torrens record a win, the Seahorses would need to achieve an unlikely outright victory over Sturt to either top a winning Uni or Eagles on percentage, or leapfrog a losing Tea Tree Gully.
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