BRBB: Youth and experience to drive Thunder in hunt for twin wins
Twomey Schriber Thunder coach Steve Kerwitz expects the side’s most experienced players to bring the best out of their youngsters — and vice versa — with their Barrier Reef Big Bash season on the line on Saturday.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Twomey Schriber Thunder coach Steve Kerwitz expects the side’s most experienced players to bring the best out of their youngsters — and vice versa — with their Barrier Reef Big Bash season on the line on Saturday.
The Thunder are locked in a three-way battle for second spot with just three games of the T20 tournament left to play on Saturday before the first round of finals on Sunday.
The teams that finish in the top two will play off in Sunday’s qualifying final, with the winner to advance to next Saturday’s grand final, while the loser will get a second chance in next Friday night’s challenger final.
Before last night’s clash between the Designer First Homes Dare Devils and the Halpin Hurricanes (watch the replay now on the Cairns Post website), the Thunder were in second place with seven points, ahead of the Hurricanes on six points and the Dare Devils on five points.
Kerwitz said the Thunder had to win both games on Saturday to secure a second life in the finals, and would turn to the side’s most experienced cricketers to get the job done.
“Tommy Maher, Darren Lees, Jacob Stanton, Michael Raso — the four of them guys have been absolutely awesome,” he said.
“They talk to the younger guys, they’re willing to put their two bobs in, even though not many of them play Twenty20, and they’ve just got great cricket brains.”
Kerwitz said while the influence the side’s most experienced players had on the younger contingent was plain to see, it also went the other way.
MORE NEWS:
Son of Snitzel storms to victory
WATCH LIVE: Hurricanes v Dare Devils, Barrier Reef Big Bash
Barron teammate eager to go after in-form Fulton
75 from 34: Roach’s wild T20 innings
“And they’ve got a spark out of having all these young blokes, like Logan (Poggioli), Phelpsy (Andrew Phelps) and Finn (Churchward), running around in the field, so they’re pretty inspired,” he said.
“Do what I’m told — that’s their attitude and that’s it. They’ve been outstanding and that’s the reason why we picked them in the draft.
“We knew they were still reasonable cricketers and they’ve all got runs now, except Michael Raso, but the other three have had a couple of decent hits.”
Kerwitz said wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Shrimpton showed his cricketing prowess with at handy 35 off 22 against the Hurricanes last week, but it had been his work behind the stumps that endeared him to his Thunder teammates.
“He is a crack-up,” Kerwitz said. “The guys were like, ‘this kid is outstanding, he just keeps chirping’.”
Phelps is expected to open the batting after his 19-ball 30 against the Dare Devils last weekend. The Barron River batsman had a great running battle with Dare Devils skipper Brenton Edwards, which resulted in Phelps smashing the all-rounder for six before being given out lbw the next ball.
Dare Devils skipper puts pressure on himself to make runs
Designer First Homes Dare Devils skipper Brenton Edwards is putting the onus on himself to string together a couple of solid batting performances in the Barrier Reef Big Bash this weekend.
The former Australian Country representative all-rounder notched an unbeaten 64 in the Dare Devils’ first and only win of the T20 tournament, against the Halpin Hurricanes in Round 2, but has failed to have the same impact in the two games since.
Edwards was run out for one against the Piccones Badgers last Saturday before restoring some pride with a 15-ball 22, including four fours, against the Twomey Schriber Thunder on Sunday.
But Edwards, who is his own harshest critic, was not happy with the performance.
“I probably had to take a bit more of the responsibility,” he said.
“I need to take the game but maybe be a bit more patient.
“I felt I was hitting them well and what I tried to do was try to invent a shot — try and make something happen rather than just waiting on it — which was my wrongdoing and that probably set the tone for the rest of our batting.”
Edwards said the solution was simple in theory.
MORE NEWS:
How to watch six Barrier Reef Big Bash games live this weekend
Barron teammate eager to go after in-form Fulton
Young playmaker to pilot Pride in Intrust Super Cup debut
Roach and Nasser go huge in Barrier Reef Big Bash
“The boys have just got to step up with the bat,” he said.
“There’s nothing extra hard about it, we’ve just got to be smart, get bat on ball and keep ticking the score over.
“I think 130-140 runs has won majority of games so far this season.”
After coming in to bat at number three in the first two games, Edwards put himself up the order to open alongside Rovers’ teammates Josh Chadwick against the Thunder.
He said the Dare Devils might tinker with the top of the order against the Hurricanes on Friday night.
“We might look at trialling something a bit different, we haven’t quite decided,” he said.
“If I don’t open, I’ll be batting three. Chaddy’s doing a great job up there, he’s batted for a long while in each of the games, so I don’t think his role will change.
“He’s been that anchor for us, we just got to support him a bit more and if we get a couple of partnerships, that’s the main thing.”
Edwards was expecting another economical spell from Cassowary Coast spearhead Luke Corlis.
“I think he’s shown that he’s the quickest in the comp,” he said.
The Dare Devils will treat Friday night’s clash against the Hurricanes as a must-win battle as they look to secure all four points on offer, with three points for a win and one Tyrepower boost point up for grabs.
A win against the Hurricanes will boost the Dare Devils’ chances of finishing in the top two and getting a second chance in the finals.
“Between the bottom three sides — us, the Thunder and the Hurricanes — nothing is set,” he said.
“We have just got to win, it’s as simple as that.”
PACKED SCHEDULE
There will be six games in the T20 Barrier Reef Big Bash this weekend, with the first grand final team to be decided on Sunday night.
All six games will be live on the Cairns Post website.
The preliminary final will be played next Friday night, March 26, with the grand final on Saturday night from 7pm.
FRIDAY
6.30pm: Hurricanes v Dare Devils
SATURDAY
9am: Thunder v Hurricanes
1.30pm: Badgers v Dare Devils
6.30pm: Thunder v Badgers
SUNDAY
1pm: Elimination final (3rd v 4th)
4.30pm: Qualifying final (1st v 2nd)
CURRENT STANDINGS (before above games)
1st: Piccones Badgers (14pts, 4-0)
2nd: Twomey Schriber Thunder (7pts, 1-1-2)
3rd: Halpin Hurricanes (6pts, 1-3)
4th: Designer First Homes Dare Devils (5pts, 1-1-2)
Originally published as BRBB: Youth and experience to drive Thunder in hunt for twin wins
‘Annastacia Palaszczuk saw the writing on the wall’
Voters have come out swinging for Labor after an exit poll showed the LNP is set to romp home in the Queensland election.
‘See ya’, ‘not before time’: Readers fire up over exit poll bombshell
Readers have come out swinging at individuals as they celebrate a Courier-Mail exit poll that shows the LNP is set to romp home in the Queensland election, but many others are warning it may not be a done deal just yet.