South Wagga are looking to rise to the challenge of an in-form Wagga City to qualify for the Twenty20 competition final on Saturday.
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The Blues are out to become the first team to defeat the Cats during the new concept.
The two teams clash at 2pm on Robertson Oval.
Whoever finishes victorious goes through to the 7pm final under lights at Roberston Oval where they will play the winner of the clash between Wagga RSL and Lake Albert.
A win over Wagga RSL last week secured a finals berth and captain Joel Robinson is hoping to continue the trend.
“We’ve obviously had a good win last week and hopefully we can take that form into this game,” Robinson said.
After missing last week, Robinson’s return is one of a number of changes for the Blues.
Stand-in skipper Jeremy Rowe led the way last week, scoring an unbeaten 75, but he isn’t available to take on the Cats.
Chase McIntosh, Marc Sheppard and Terry Willis are also away.
Co-coach Seb Graf and Louis Orr also return for the Blues with one still to be confirmed.
With Rowe’s knock guiding South Wagga to the win last week, his absence will be a blow.
Robinson is looking for someone to step into his place.
“It just shows if one person fires, in any sort of format of the game, it goes a long way to winning the game,” he said.
“If one person goes on a scores at least a half-century in a Twenty20 it definitely helps out, but you still want contributions from every else in the top order.”
That is what he is looking to do against the Cats.
His also wary of the danger Jon Nicoll, Josh Thompson and Aaron Maxwell can present.
Nicoll and Thompson have been particularly strong in the Cats wins over St Michaels and Lake Albert.
“Obviously we have been bowling well but have to do all the basics right,” Robinson said.
“We will do our best to have plans in place to limit their batsmen and keep their score to a chaseable score.”
The two teams last met in the biggest game of the season.
It was City who came out on top in the grand final.
However with the different format, Robinson doesn’t believe that really factors into this match-up.
“It’s a different style of cricket and completely different teams really,” he said.
“I’m not really looking at it as a grand final rematch.
“We’re a completely different team, they have different players and it changes every year.”
