Magpies wary of Rams

The final round of Traralgon and District cricket before Christmas has never been more important with a tight ladder giving teams a chance to shore up their position before the break.

It is also important for individual players who are looking to book a ticket to Country Week come 30 January.

The interesting statistic leading into the January tournament is that as it stands, out of the top 15 wicket takers across the TDCA only one of those players has bowled at Gippsland Cricket League level so far this year, so there are chances for players to make their case to the selectors.

Glengarry v Toongabbie

GLENGARRY host Toongabbie in this week’s match of the round which should be a Christmas cracker.

The Rams are coming off the bye which could be a worry for the side as only two clubs so far this year have had the bye and won the next week.

Glengarry is now in form and climbing the ladder quickly with in-form captain Sam Marks leading the way with almost 300 runs already on the board this season.

With the bye hurting Toongabbie’s momentum Glengarry should be able to score an upset and at least one of the Marks boys will post a big score.

CATS v

Traralgon West

CATS is playing at home for the first time this season after laying new turf over the winter.

It takes on a Traralgon West team looking forward to the Christmas break as it has not won a game this season.

CATS has a history of letting big stroke makers get on top of it so Matt Kirkham will again be important for Traralgon West’s chances.

But in what should be a fairly straightforward win CATS should take maximum points and maintain sixth place on the ladder.

Imperials v Ex Students

Imperials host second-placed Ex Students in a match which could not have come at a worse time. Trying to rebound after a 122-run loss to Rovers last week, playing last year’s premier is going to provide an uphill battle for the Devils and they will need to prepare thoroughly to keep a hungry Sharks outfit at bay.

Ex Students has the current leading run scorer in Lee Stockdale and the leading wicket taker in Andy Mathews.

After belting Centrals last week the Sharks will be confident in winning even though they have not played at Catterick Crescent Oval for four years.

Churchill v MTY Raiders

MTY Raiders takes on Churchill at home in what should be a good match.

Both clubs have exciting players who are in good touch which should add another chapter to this fierce rivalry.

Andrew Shepherd and John Keighran are the big names to fear when playing against Churchill this season, but it’s the red ink king in the form of Steve Warr that has been just as important in the last few weeks.

Warr has scored vital late runs to help win games for his club.

Churchill should win this contest.

Centrals v Gormandale

The final game this round is between Centrals and Gormandale, to be played at Stoddart Park.

A win for both camps would be welcomed considering neither club has won a game since round four.

Both skippers need to get creative to win this game, otherwise coming back from the Christmas break well outside the top six will make the remainder of the season a long and tiresome task.