GLADDY-Metro-Tahs is the kind of dynamite Twenty20 side that can blow the lid off this year’s Royal Hotel Cup competition, it just haven’t managed to put it together on the night.
That’s the thoughts of Orange City skipper Matt Findlay ahead of his side’s showdown with GMT tonight at Wade Park.
It’s a must win clash for both sides.
But for City, the assignment of winning becomes that little bit tougher with the unpredictability of GMT.
Boasting a plethora of hitters as well as a number of Gladstone players that took out the ODCA lower grade Twenty20 premiership, the GMT outfit enjoys the explosiveness required to dominate the shortest form of cricket.
However, GMT is winless from its opening two games of the ODCA day-night competition, preferring to go hell for leather in pursuit of quick runs rather than build an innings and go off like a fire cracker at the end.
It’s brought about the side’s downfall, too, with GMT bowled out in both of its previous matches.
But tonight at Wade Park, will GMT put it together?
Findlay is hoping not.
“They’ve got a lot of players that have had a lot of success in Twenty20 stuff before,” Findlay said.
“They have the ability, there’s no doubt about that, it’s just about putting it together on the night.”
GMT skipper Ben McAlpine shed a little light on his side’s tactics ahead of the game.
“We’ll go hard from the start,” McAlpine said.
“The field is up to start the match so we’re going to try and take advantage of that.”
However, he was cautious not to throw all of his side’s eggs in the one basket.
“We’ve been bowled out both times this season so we need to make sure we bat out our overs,” he added.
Orange City must win tonight’s match to make the finals, with a win guaranteeing a semi-final berth and a loss resulting in a three-way tie for second in Pool A alongside Cavaliers and GMT.
Findlay was hopeful of a positive result.
“We’ve got quite a few attacking players,” Findlay said.
“We’re good in the field. We’re a side that should do well in this competition.”
