A SEASON that started with plenty of optimism for Sandhurst following a strong recruiting campaign is now facing its last roll of the Bendigo District Cricket Association finals dice.
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The Dragons host Bendigo United at Bendigo Door Centre Weeroona Oval in this weekend’s Saturday-Sunday round 12 matches.
Sandhurst sits in fifth position, a game behind fourth-placed Bendigo United.
A Sandhurst loss would make it impossible to make the finals after the Dragons had earlier sat a game clear on top of the ladder after round five, while a victory would ensure their season still has life in it heading into round 13 against Bendigo.
The Dragons have only beaten the Redbacks once in the past 15 seasons and can’t afford to be the one-man team they have been with the bat in their past two losses against Golden Square and White Hills in which Craig Howard has made 174 runs and his 20 team-mates have combined for just 107.
Captain Leigh McDermott returns to the Bendigo United line-up after missing last round’s loss to Strathdale-Maristians with split webbing in his hand.
• Golden Square hosts top side Kangaroo Flat at MyJet Oval.
While the Roos have finals to look forward to for the first time since 2008, Square is still a slim chance following its 90-run win over Sandhurst last round.
Square needs to win both its last two games against the Roos and Huntly-North Epsom and rely on Bendigo United losing its last two and Sandhurst winning no more than one to get back into the finals.
Skipper Tim Wood is back in the Square side following a finger injury to take on a Roos team that is gunning for a sixth victory in a row.
• Huntly-North Epsom hosts Eaglehawk in a clash of two teams that when they met just over a month ago played out a round eight tie.
The Power on Thursday night had Linc McRae handed a one-match suspended sentence that stands until the end of next season after he was reported for hitting the stumps following his dismissal last week.
However, while McRae is free to play, he hasn’t been selected by the Power.
• In other games, Strathfieldsaye is at home to White Hills and Strathdale-Maristians takes on Bendigo, who haven’t beaten the Suns since the 2002-03 season.
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LADDER:
Kangaroo Flat – 51
Eaglehawk – 48
Strathdale – 45
Bendigo United – 39
Sandhurst – 33
Golden Square – 33
White Hills – 27
Huntly-North – 24
Bendigo – 21
Strathfieldsaye – 9
