Palmerston skipper Alex Bleakley confident his side has the two-day skills to stop the Tahs train

Can Palmerston upset the in-form Waratah at Gardens Oval in the second rematch of last season’s grand final sides?

New Waratah opening bat Austin Umpherston is one of several hurdles Palmerston will have to overcome in their two-day district cricket clash with the premiers. Picture: Glenn Campbell

CALLING a halt to the Waratah cricket express is Palmerston skipper Alex Bleakley’s main priority this week.

The district cricket Premier Grade clash at Gardens Oval brings together last season’s grand finalists in the first of the longer forms of the game.

Reigning premier Waratah has batting and bowling depth after some smart recruiting brought Austin Umpherston and Dylan Hunter to the club.

A 38-run loss to Southern Districts is the only bump in the 2021 season Isaac Conway’s side have encountered, a record that includes a 114-run over Palmerston in the opening round.

Bleakley, last season’s captain of the team-of-the-year after an outstanding year at the helm, concedes Waratah is “a pretty good side’’.

The Power have several two-day rookies in their X1 despite the experience of Bleakley and left-arm spinner Hamish Martin with the bat and ball.

But Bleakley is confident his side will be better at the 80-over format as compared with the hit and miss limited over game.

“I think we’ll be a better two-day side than a one-day side,” he said. “I guess we’ll have to see how we go and whether that prediction is accurate.”

In other games commencing Saturday, Southern Districts and Darwin need premiership points when they meet at Fred’s Pass and the clash between second and third-placed PINT and Tracy Village at the Village ground holds a lot of intrigue.

Palmerston, Tracy Village and Waratah emerged as winners in Thursday’s T20 matches.

Palmerston opening bat Harry Zimmerman and Darwin counterpart Beau Webster had a big night out at Gardens Oval.

Zimmerman blasted 81 from 53 balls in his side’s 6-161, hitting the boundary 10 times and clearing it on three occasions.

Webster mirrored that performance when the Eagles batted, hitting five boundaries and five sixes in his 52-ball 79 at the top of the order.

Tracy Village’s Hugo Burdon’s 72 from 49 balls got his side to 4-148 against Nightcliff, a total that got his side home by two runs at Marrara’s DCX Arena.

The Tigers got maximum value from the in-form Joel Curtis (62) and No.3 Ryan McElduff (48no) in their unlucky run chase.

Waratah repeated last weekend’s 50-over win against PINT when they beat the Green Caps by 45 runs at Cazaly’s Arena.

Opener Dylan Hunter’s 43 and a pair of unbeaten 34s from Austin Umpherston and Ashley Chandrasinghe got the Red Caps to 2-155, a total PINT never threatened, despite Blade Baxter’s 33 at No.6 in the batting order.