Strathfieldsaye plays Strathdale-Maristians at Bell Oval on Saturday, with the winner to earn a grand final berth, while the loser will host Sunday's preliminary final.

An in-form and confident top-order is vital to the premiership hopes of all four semi-finalists - that's the question mark that hangs over a Jets' side that has as strong and deep a bowling attack as any in the competition.

Devanny's first problem is right at the top of the order.

Tim Wood has been the Jets' best player all summer and picks himself, but who strides to the pitch with him is a quandary for the Jets' skipper.

For much of this summer, Wood and Abe Sheahan had a successful opening partnership.

Through the first seven games that they opened the batting together they averaged a first wicket partnership of 52.7.

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However, that figure dropped to 5.6 over the next five matches and Sheahan was replaced at the top of the order by the hard-hitting, but inconsistent, Pat Felmingham.

Wood and Felmingham have had opening stands of 86 and 12.

"I was reluctant to change things because Tim (Wood) and Abe (Sheahan) were working, but Pat (Felmingham) is so dangerous at the top,'' Devanny said.

"It's something we'll think about through the week. It will depend a bit on match-ups.

"At this stage it's likely we'll stay with Tim and Pat, but we'll see what happens."

Felmingham's elevation to bat alongside Wood gives the Jets two free-scoring players to, potentially, give Strathfieldsaye a flying start in the early overs.

Early runs could be match-defining - particularly if the Jets host Sunday's preliminary final at Tannery Lane where runs are at a premium.

"There's a lot of spin that will be bowled in the finals,'' Devanny said.

"We'll play two spinners, Bendigo United and Strathdale will play three and Eaglehawk will play a couple as well.

"That's something we need to factor in. The first 10-15 overs is the best time to bat - the field is up and the ball is hard.

"We'll look at who plays spin well and factor that into our decisions."

The other headache for the Jets' batters is turning starts into big scores.

Five of their top seven batters last Saturday against Bendigo were dismissed between 19 and 39.

It was a similar story a fortnight earlier against Huntly-North Epsom.

The Jets won both games, thanks largely to some fine bowling, but Devanny knows they won't get away with it against quality opposition this weekend.

"Other than Woodsy, who has got a couple of big scores, too many of us are getting to 20 or 30 and getting out,'' Devanny said.

"We won't worry too many sides over the next two weeks if we can't have someone go on and get 70, 80 or 100.

"We've got guys that are hitting the ball alright, but they're getting out. It's something we've got to fix."

Strathfieldsaye enters the semi-final against Strathdale buoyed by the fact it is the only team to defeat the Suns at Bell Oval this season.

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