Cricket finals: Meet the 18 stars key to their side’s title hopes

The Toowoomba cricket season is set for a thrilling finale with the region’s top teams and players lining up in the two-day finals this weekend. Ahead of the big matches we’ve ranked all the key players from every grand final side.

Daniel Pollock bats for Metropolitan-Easts.

CRICKET: Toowoomba’s best cricketers will be in action this weekend.

Ahead of the A, Reserve, B, C and D grade finals, we caught up with every club to each to get their thoughts on the matches ahead.

We have also named our players to watch for every club in every match.

The TCI two-day finals will be played this Saturday and Sunday, March 25 and 26.

A-grade — Easts vs Wests

MET-EASTS

“It’s going to be a tough match that’s for sure,” captain Daniel Pollock said.

“They (Wests) are a young side with a lot of enthusiasm.

“They have talent across the board with some great bowlers but if we can blunt them (bowlers), we’ll be in a good position to win.”

Daniel Pollock bats for Metropolitan-Easts against Northern Brothers Diggers.

Pollock is aware that Wests are capable of taking the game on early and knows getting out their captain early is crucial.

“In terms of batting, if we can get their captain (Luke Neale) cheaply for a low score, that’ll be a great result, cause he has been one of the most in form players this season,” he said.

“We are a good side on paper and a lot of people actually predicted us to be in the final at the beginning of the season.”

“We have a lot of experience in the side and we are definitely wanting to go back-to-back final winners.

Jack Carter for Met-Easts celebrates the wicket of Luke Neale for Wests. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“The side will have a few changes, Jack Carter will come back in after missing last weekend for Philip Reinke who did an awesome job filling in for us.”

WESTERN DISTRICTS

“We pretty much expected to be playing them (Souths) in the final,” captain Luke Neale said.

“The boys are obviously all really excited to be in the final and are all looking forward to a good match.

“We have four boys that’ll be playing their first final which is cool.

Luke Neale bats for Wests. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Neale stressed the importance for his side to be patient and disciplined as it’s a long match and plenty of time.

“Because the finals have 96 overs instead of the regular 75, it’s a long time, so there is plenty of time to bat and we don’t need to panic about scoring quickly,” he said.

“If we can be patient and work hard out in the field we’ll set ourselves up.”

Neale noted key players he believes are important to stifle in order for his side to win, and a player that he knows is important for Wests.

“Jack Carter is coming back for them and he has taken heaps of wickets this season so we’ll look to keep him out.

“Darren Koch is the one we’ll look to get early, he sets the tone for their side and has been in good form this season.

Rylan Martin bowls for Western Districts.

“For us, Rylan Martin has really stood up this season with some long spells so he’s one that’ll be good to watch on the weekend for us.”

Reserve-grade — Easts vs Souths

MET-EASTS

“We are going to approach it like last match; give everything in the field, making sure we hang on to catches, apply pressure in the field and with the ball in hand,” Jacob Fry said.

Jacob Fry bats for Metropolitan-Easts. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Fry is wary of Souths captain, stressing if his side are to be successful, they need to get him out early.

“Their captain (David Callick) is a big wicket so we’ve got to contain him.

“If we can put the ball on a good length consistently we’ll restrict their runs,” he said.

“It’s a two-day match so there is plenty of time to bat, which means we just need to be switched on and make sure we don’t play any silly shots.”

SOUTHS MAGPIES

“Their bowling is definitely very strong and they are also very consistent in the field,” captain David Callick said.

“We are both sides that have been fairly consistent across all facets of the game this season and I think attrition will be the biggest factor rather than one individual breaking the game open.

“You’ve got to have depth in this competition and we’ve been fortunate to have good players throughout the season.

Lachlan Gersch bowls for Met Easts. Picture: Nev Madsen.

While Callick acknowledges his side has worked really well as a unit all season he wanted to give credit to some juniors in the side.

“We have some younger players in Isaac (Adamson), Alexander (Howard) and Lachlan (Gersch) that are just making their way into senior cricket and they have all stood up and provided their skillets and enthusiasm,” he said.

Match info: Saturday 25 & 26 March at 10.30am, Southern Cross Reserve.

B-grade — Easts vs Highfields

MET-EASTS

“I’m happy to say we are probably the favourites heading in, we haven’t dropped a match this season so we have been in pretty good form,” captain Ben Jeffery said.

“We don’t often head into a match with a set game-plan, we tend to know what is required from each other individually and that has been working.

Jeffery is confident his side can get the job done but also knows it’ll be tough.

“(Peter) Spence is a standout for them and we’ll need to keep an eye on him.

“As for us, Shoeb Harun has been great with the ball taking a lot of wickets and our opening bat Adam Kerrigan regularly sets the tone, he can bat to the situation which lets us bat around him if needed.

HIGHFIELDS RAILWAYS

“Mets have been the benchmark in B-grade for the past two years, so they’re going in to this (match) as red-hot favourites,” Highfields president Tony Morrish said.

“We just scrapped into the top three so we have been fortunate in that regard and

the team is up for it.”

Morrish knows that while it’ll be a difficult task for his side he is confident in their ability to get the win.

“If the boys can hold their catches, stay consistent in the field, and just play good cricket they’ll be in with a fighting chance.”

Match info: Saturday 25 & 26 March at 12.30pm, Captain Cook Reserve – Oval 6.

C-grade — NBD vs Uni

NORTHERN Diggers

“It’ll be a good match,” captain Wayne Hamlet said.

“Diggers and Uni have a lot of history and plenty of experience when it comes to playing each other.”

Not conceding which side was superior, Hamlet noted the abundance of experience Uni will take into the clash.

“They have plenty of experienced players too, and I think they have roughly six guys that have all played over 200 (games),” he said.

“Me and (Anthony) Guse in particular have played them a lot, and Guse will be looking for another big game which will be important to us winning, but in saying that, it’s the whole 11 blokes in the side putting in a team effort that’ll be key.”

UNIVERSITY

“They have some really experienced players and especially their opening pair of Wayne (Hamlet) and Anthony (Guse) who have been on fire all season and will be key wickets,” captain Rod Fogarty said.

Wayne Hamlet, Northern Brothers Diggers. Photo: Contributed

“We are looking forward to the battle that’s for sure.

Fogarty is also wary of some of Diggers’ other players, namely those newer to the side.

“They (Diggers) also have some younger blokes that are strong in the field and are quick and apply pressure, so we’ll watch out for that,” he said.

“As for our side, Robbie Phillips has been on fire for us again this season taking a bunch of wickets and contributing with the bat too, but overall we have a balanced side.

“Anything can happen and you’re only as good as your last innings.”

Match info: Saturday 25 & 26 March at 12.30pm, Godsall St East Oval.

D-grade — Highfields vs Souths

HIGHFIELDS RAILWAYS

“If the boys can focus on their fielding and take their catches they’ll be in with a good chance,” club president Tony Morrish said.

“One of the standouts for us this season has been 17 year old Jack Hollist.

“He is a young fella with a good right-arm medium pace delivery that can also bat up high and has shown good maturity all season.

“Our captain Brad Siddans is another (player) that’ll be important as he is a bowling all-rounder that’ll play a key role.”

SOUTHS MAGPIES

“So far we’ve played well as a team and we are all confident as a unit we can continue to compliment one another with our skill sets this weekend,” captain Harvinder Khalsa.

“We have a strong bowling attack and a good fielding unit.”

Khalsa, while confident in his side that is looking to stay undefeated acknowledged anything can happen on the day.

“If we play to our potential we’ll put up a good fight,” he said.

“They have a good bowling attack that we need to be wary of.

“They have some hard-hitting destructive batters that we will need to get out early but as for a game plan we’ll build our innings and reassess once we hit the 20 over mark.”

Match info: Sunday 26 March at 12.30pm, Newtown 1.