Centrals' Orange District Cricket Association finals hopes are hanging by the thinnest of threads leading into the penultimate round of the regular season and if they're to even give themselves a chance, they've only one option against Kinross.
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Win outright.
But even then, if the red and blacks can secure maximum points over the next two weeks there's a very real chance they'll still miss out because they're relying so heavily on other results to fall in just the right fashion.
Centrals are 12 points adrift of third-placed CYMS on the ladder and unfortunately for them they have a final-round bye, from which they'll take no competition points.
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With that in mind the red and blacks must secure an outright victory just to draw level on points with CYMS, who have the bye this week, after that they'll need the green and golds to lose their final round game reasonably heavily to hope they come out on top of a quotient countback.
While potentially a pipe dream, Centrals do have the benefit of knowing they can best the students, with one of their three wins this season coming at Kinross' expense.
They'll also have metronomic seamer Dan Sandford and veteran all-rounder Wes Roweth on hand, the pair will make their return to the side this weekend, while Brenton Anthony also comes into the top grade after hitting reasonably good form in 2019.
The students are well and truly out of finals contention, they're another 14 points back from Centrals, but as the situation suggests can play a huge role in which teams qualify for the finals and where they finish as well.
Centrals take on the students from 1pm on Saturday and the same time the following week at Kinross Main Oval while, in the round 14 clash, Cavaliers and Orange City will fight it out at Wade Park in a clash that will be telling in the race for the minor premiership.
Despite winning one less game than the Warriors this summer Cavaliers sit six points clear of Orange City on top of the standings.
Considering that a win in the penultimate round would almost-certainly wrap-up the minor title for the maroons, with passage directly to the grand final the real prize there.
The maroons have reason to be supremely confident against the Warriors too, considering they've bested them in both their encounters so far this summer.
First they picked up a 123-run win in round after Kaleb Cook's unbeaten 157 led them to a total of almost 400 and then, in round nine, Josh Doherty banged out a quick-fire 80 to lead the maroons to a 117-run, one-day victory.
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Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
