Full guide to the run home for 2024/2025 SACA Premier Cricket division one season

Only three rounds of two-day SACA Premier Cricket remain and the fight for finals or to avoid relegation remains as tight as ever. We’ve taken a look at each division one club’s run home and unpacked what they must do to make finals or avoid the drop.

The 2024-2025 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 the top division.

With just three rounds remaining and 30 points separating fourth and sixth, entire seasons for a number of clubs now rest on the final few weeks of action.

Lower clubs will also need to battle through varying difficulty of schedule to avoid relegation, with some teams set to face weaker sides and others to match up with fellow powerhouses.

Here is our guide to the remainder of the season.

STURT (first, 130 points)

Sturt star Tom Kelly in action. Picture: AAP/Brenton Edwards

Sturt looks all but certain to wrap up a finals and possible top two spot through the last three rounds of play, the Blues sitting 10 points on top of Kensington 25 on top of third place Tea Tree Gully.

The club will clash with Kensington next in a matchup which could decide top spot, and will then face two tough challenges in Glenelg and West Torrens.

One win will ultimately be enough to secure a top four finish for Sturt, but the side could slide down to fourth if West Torrens and Tea Tree Gully put strong runs together and claim an outright win (30 points) in their final three matches.

With big names like MacKenzie Harvey, Tom Kelly and Corey Kelly all producing consistent cricket, a drop out of the top two seems unlikely.

KENSINGTON (second, 120 points)

Kensington captain Josh Doyle. Picture: Dean Martin

Led by the in-form Josh Doyle, Henry Thornton and Stephen Doheny, Kensington faces three challenging clashes against Sturt, West Torrens and Glenelg after claiming an impressive outright win over Adelaide Uni.

The Browns will be aiming to claim first place for finals and have their sights set on the upcoming matchup with top spot Sturt.

A win or an unlikely outright win would put the club top ahead of matches against fourth spot West Torrens and Glenelg, but a win against either of those sides will likely be needed.

A drop outside of the top four currently seems almost impossible but a drop down to fourth could still happen if West Torrens and Tea Tree Gully win out and the Browns fail to record a win in their final three fixtures.

TEA TREE GULLY (third, 105 points)

Bulls speedster Tim Oakley. Picture: AAP/ Keryn Stevens

The Bulls have recorded four two-day wins in seven matches so far this season to currently sit in third position and will face Adelaide Uni, Adelaide and Port Adelaide to round out their fixtures before finals.

TTG still has a mathematical chance of finishing top but would likely need to win all three remaining matches, with one being outright, and would also need Kensington and Sturt to drop points.

The side’s clash with Adelaide in round nine could be a major one, with the Buffaloes still a shot at moving up in to the top four or even on top of TTG for third if they record an outright win in their final three clashes and take points off of the Bulls.

The Bulls will be looking for continued strong performances from Luke Hollman, Kyle Brazell, Zac Worden and Tim Oakley.

WEST TORRENS (fourth, 80 points)

Star West Torrens batter Bailey Capel. Picture: Dean Martin

The Eagles sat just outside the relegation zone a week ago but claimed an important win over Adelaide to move into fourth position ahead of their matches against Glenelg, Kensington and Sturt.

While a secure finals spot is firmly within the club’s grasp, at least one win may be needed to avoid relegation.

Due to what some have seen as an unfair or uneven draw with the relegation system now in place, the Eagles will face three powerhouse clubs while current relegation sides Port Adelaide (Adelaide, Adelaide Uni, Tea Tree Gully) and Adelaide Uni (Tea Tree Gully, Port Adelaide, Adelaide) will have easier draws on paper to close the season.

Three wins including a possible outright could see the Eagles move up to the top two or at least third spot if above clubs drop points.

Bailey Capel has been in strong form recently, scoring 109 not out against Adelaide, while Daniel Drew and Harry Manenti will also be players to watch as West Torrens launches its finals bid.

ADELAIDE (fifth, 65 points)

Adelaide’s Sam Scrimgeour. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The Buffaloes will need some luck to finish in the top four but have an outside chance as bottom two sides Port Adelaide and Adelaide Uni sit as two of their final three opponents along with third spot Tea Tree Gully.

The side will likely need wins in all three fixtures to finish in the top four and can realistically make the postseason if West Torrens drops two or all three of its final matches.

On the other side of the coin, the Buffaloes could drop all the way down to the relegation zone if they fail to win a match and give up points to both Port Adelaide and Adelaide Uni.

The club will be hoping to recapture form which saw it surprisingly defeat Sturt two rounds ago behind strong play from dangerous bowler Gus Miller and opening batter Sam Scrimgeour.

GLENELG (sixth, 50 points)

Glenelg batter Conor McInerney. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Another powerhouse which faces the prospect of relegation amid a tough draw to close out the season, Twenty20 premier Glenelg likely needs to tally a win against one of West Torrens, Sturt and Kensington to ensure its safety.

The Seahorses sit 30 points (one outright win) below West Torrens and can still make the top four but would need three wins or at least two and a win against the Eagles to give themselves the best chance.

The best case scenario for the Seahorses would be for Tea Tree Gully, West Torrens and Adelaide to all drop points while they win all three remaining fixtures to move up to third, with second also being an outside possibility depending on outright wins and Kensington falling.

Glenelg will be hoping to build on momentum gained from its T20 triumph and will need names like Conor McInerney, Jake Winter, Will Bowering and Isaac Higgins to continue to produce.

PORT ADELAIDE (seventh, 20 points)

Tom Andrews and his Port Adelaide side face a challenge to escape relegation this season. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Port Adelaide has struggled in the two-day competition after recent solid seasons but can still escape relegation with Adelaide, Adelaide Uni and Tea Tree Gully as its final three opponents.

The club will need either Glenelg, Adelaide or West Torrens to drop multiple games for the best chance to escape relegation but could also pull off the feat with an outright win and another win in its last three games if the Seahorses (lower percentage) don’t win out.

However, one loss would likely all but seal the side’s fate in the bottom two with a significant amount of luck needed to overcome that setback.

Reigning Premier Cricket player of the year Tom Andrews and star all-rounder Cam Valente should be able to produce some of their best cricket of the year with Port’s season on the line.

ADELAIDE UNI (eighth, 20 points)

Sitting bottom with a competition-worst percentage, Adelaide Uni is up against it to escape relegation but could pull off an unlikely season result with wins over Tea Tree Gully, Port Adelaide and Adelaide.

The Blacks will need at least two wins including an outright as well as Glenelg or Adelaide to drop points if they want to move out of the bottom two, with the task of leapfrogging West Torrens mathematically possible but reasonably unrealistic.

Much like Port Adelaide, a loss for Uni in its last three matches would make escaping relegation a significantly harder task.

Captain Sam Kerber and his side struggled against Kensington in round eight and will need to turn fortunes around quickly against Tea Tree Gully in round eight.

Originally published as Full guide to the run home for 2024/2025 SACA Premier Cricket division one season