By Justin Schwarze
After Mother Nature intervened for hopefully the last time this season, the District grand final stage is finally set.
Officer and Pakenham Upper/Toomuc will go head-to-head this weekend at Rob Porter Reserve for not only a shot at the premiership, but also a promotion to play in Premier Division in 2025/26.
If their most recent matchup is any indicator, then the decider could come down to the smallest margins.
The Yabbies will rue their performance against the Bullants in round 12, as they not only let them off the hook…but also collapsed.
Officer was on the road and without star pace bowler and skipper Cooper Pursell, but they managed to claw their way to one of the most impressive results of the entire campaign.
At Harry Blackman Oval, the hosts had their opponents 9/113 and were in a commanding spot, before the 10/11 partnership added 68 runs for the Bullants.
The Yabbies then crumbled with the bat, flaming out and stumbling to a score of 141.
Pakenham Upper/Toomuc has powerful batting weapons, but the side has failed to reach a score of 200 or more in its last three full two-day innings.
The added pressure of a grand final may be the motivator the Yabbies need to fire; otherwise it could be over sooner than planned.
On the contrary, Officer is upheld by a deep batting order that can remain upstanding if thrown a punch.
Chathura Imbulagoda is the prized wicket for the visitors, as he’s capable of absolutely dominating if comfortable at the crease.
Ash Smith is in really good form and the Bullants welcomed back handy third-up Jack James from a foot injury in the semi-final.
However, it may seem the pressure is on Officer when it comes to batting.
Ben McLeod, Lucas Plozza, John Langley, Ryan Yeates and Raja Sadiq have all taken 5-fas at a point this season as the Yabbies rely heavily on pace bowling.
“As always our bowling attack is looking very strong and I’m very confident in our bowling group,” Pakenham Upper/Toomuc captain Brian Kulasena said.
“Our fast bowling group has been amazing this year, so hats off to them.”
The Yabbies took the most wickets in District this season, so if they do underperform with the bat, there’s a little reassurance that they can defend most totals.
The key will be to rattle the Bullants early, as speedsters McLeod and Sadiq open the bowling from either end.
“It’s all too late to change how you play and change your technique, it’s just about how we approach the game on game day,” Kulasena said.
“It’s about grinding out the win and having the determination and not lose hope and keep fighting until the end.
“Especially with batting, it’s a lot of mental concentration and making sure you’re switched on at the right moments.
“This year we’ve taken that extra step, we’ve recruited well and all the boys have put in the work and all the foundations we set last year are really coming to fruition.”
Officer didn’t get to bowl in the semi-final, but they’re anchored by Eric Winter medallist and league-leading wicket-taker Devon Gabriel-Brown.
The secondary attack isn’t quite as prestigious as Pakenham Upper Toomuc’s, but it’s still really dangerous.
Pursell along with Dan Irvine and Noah Parraga have all taken 15 or more wickets this season, proving to be more than capable of breaking partnerships.
In the absence of Pursell in the round 12 game, it was Irvine taking 4/48, Gabriel-Brown with 3/37 and Parraga posting 2/31 that got the Bullants over the line.
Officer has proven it is solid in both its batting depth and its bowling lineup and while the Yabbies may have the edge with the ball, there are still major question marks surrounding their batting.
It will be crucial to both sides to get their noses in front early, whether that’s wickets or surviving the new ball.
To put it bluntly, Pakenham Upper Toomuc can simply not allow Imbulagoda a chance to get rolling.
If he builds an innings, it will fill the Officer team with supreme confidence, especially with the skilled batters to follow.
It comes down to what team is trusted more at the crease, and the season has clearly shown the Bullants find a way to march to competitive and winning scores.
They posted 9/216 in the semi-final and 5/255 in round 13 against Carlisle Park, 7/420 against Emerald in round 14 and 181 against Pakenham Upper Toomuc.
While the elite bowling of the Yabbies may be able to restrict those scores a little bit, the batting just doesn’t always back it up.
Officer will redeem last year’s heartbreak and hoist the premiership after an exciting battle.
