GRAMPIANS will look to get the better of Macarthur in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association A grade match of the round over the next two Saturdays at Dunkeld Turf.

After Mother Nature took matters into her hands last Saturday and sent welcome rain to the entire Western District, all games were washed out and the two teams will go into the game fresh and ready to finish the year in winning form.

Both teams are playing well, but Macarthur is sitting third on the premiership ladder with Grampians seventh - although the Pumas are only four points adrift of the top four.

With a mixture of fine and wet weather across the district this week, the teams will be waiting to inspect the Dunkeld Turf wicket before deciding on what to do if they win the toss.

Normally if the week has been warm and fine the captains are more than happy to bat first, but even with the heat of Thursday drawing moisture from the wicket there may still be enough there to influence a captain to bowl first and give his bowlers the assistance they need.

Pumas skipper, Don Collins, is in sublime touch with the bat and has recorded centuries in his last two innings to sit third on the run getters list for the competition with 337.

It includes another half century aside from the twin tons, at an average of 112.33.

Collins has had great support from batsman-wicket keeper Zach Burgess, who is fourth with 303 runs and four half centuries, and it’s only a matter of time before he brings up a ton.

Along with this pair is Eddie McShane, Carl Joyce, and Ty Gilmore, who give the Pumas’ batting order great strength and depth, which they will need against the Demons attack.

Josh Belleville has slotted back into the side as if he never left and gives Macarthur skipper, Charlie Summers, another new-ball option along with Kyle Smitten and Charlie Nield, while Adam Fry, Ollie Wortley, Summers and Simon Sharrock round out a very good attack.

The Demons batting is in form too with Michael Brilley, Ollie Wortley, Jack Wortley, and Summers all batting well, while Sharrock and Smitten are due to post big scores.

St Andrew’s v Pigeon Ponds

CLEM Young Oval will see St Andrew’s host Pigeon Ponds with the Drews currently fourth with the Pigeons perched on the ninth rung of the ladder.

These teams are vastly different in their form, although St Andrew’s cannot be happy with the way it bowled last round when Portland Tigers took 351 runs from the bowlers, even after Brendan Huf grabbed 6-58.

The bowlers were far too short with their lengths, allowing the Tigers to free their arms and hit the ball to all parts of Hanlon Park, and if this happens against the Pigeons then the ball will disappear again.

The Pigeons were in huge trouble against Hamilton last round at 7-119 when rain stopped play on day one and with day two completely washed out the side may have dodged a bullet.

Simon Close hasn’t batted in a game since November 2 after missing the last two weeks, along with the round five clash being postponed due to a bushfire up north.

His last knock back in round four saw the all-rounder post 107, as he and Peter Staude (136-not-out) added 199 for the third wicket as the team smashed 3-339 declared from just over 50 overs.

The home team needs Huf to again perform with both bat and ball, but he needs support from Darryl Fry, Grady Bell, Nicholas Emsley, and Aiden Sutherland with the bat while all the bowlers must follow his lead of a diligent line and length.

Ponds needs Simon Close, Michael Close, Staude, Noah Hildebrand, and Ben Hanrahan to lead the way with the bat, while skipper Hamish McCrae, Jack Beaton, Simon Close and Hanrahan to bowl and attacking line to the home team.

College v Hamilton

HAMILTON may well have been robbed of its maiden A grade victory in the last round, as the Blues had Pigeon Ponds on the ropes when rain ended all play, but today they travel up the hill to College Turf to battle College with good form under their collective belts.

College was rescued by its last wicket pair of Angus Brown (50-not-out) and Will Bourke (24), who showed grit and determination to repel the Go-Ports attack and drag the Eagles too and through the 200-run barrier when being all out for under 160 was likely.

The batsmen on both teams will enjoy the ball coming onto the bat while the bowlers will get assistance from the surface with the new ball but will then have to maintain a line and length as the wicket flattens out.

College is the highest scoring team in the competition after the first six rounds so the Blues must restrict the Eagles for the full 75 overs to keep the target manageable.

The Test Match in Adelaide has been a lure for College players in the past and it remains to be seen which players will make the trek across the border and miss the game, but those that do play will battle fired up Hamilton bowling attack that is on song.

The Hamilton batting order needs to assist the opening batsmen in Xavier Stevens and Nick O’Brien who have been in good touch of late, and batsmen like Issac Shaw, Mitch Lang, Ethan Cook, and Robbie Cook are short of runs and this will be the perfect opportunity to reverse their form.

Portland Tigers v Casterton District

HANLON Park is the scene for this game that will see an in-form Tigers side host Casterton District with both teams searching for victory that will propel them into the top four.

Both teams have had their bye so each must earn as many points as possible to reach the finals come March next year.

Shanaka Silva can lay claim to the recruit of the year award (if there was one) as he plunders runs from opposition bowlers and his 159 against St Andrews was littered with boundaries and maximums, while Paul Procter is also racking up bis scores too in support.

Silva also is bowling very well and his wickets come at the miserly cost of only 6.13 runs each, as he gives Will Oakley and Joel Askew great support with the ball.

Casterton District was on the wrong side of the ledger against South Portland last round as the visitors smashed 300 runs from only 63 overs before the rain intervened.

The Maroons must not bowl short, or they will see the fieldsmen chase leather again this round, while the top order must post a target that will test the Tigers.

Portland Colts v Tahara

PORTLAND Colts is the only side that was happy when the rain washed out the last round where their having the bye handed the team a full eight points while all the other 12 teams had to settle for four points.

This game is being held at Henty Park and the ladder leading Colts will be looking to increase their lead with a strong victory against Tahara.

With James Chapple, Luke Evans, and Jak Hotchkiss all in form, the home side is odds on to grab the points while Tahara must dig deep to stop it happening.

Taine Morris if batting and bowling very well for the Blue Caps, but the top order is yet to fire this summer and there is too much talent in Brad Gauci, Marcus Rhook, and Sam Brewer for this to be a regular occurrence.

Ther may be an upset in the offing if Colts take the Blue Caps lightly.

South Portland v Tyrendarra

CAVALIER Park will host this clash between these arch rivals with the two teams seemingly in form over the last month.

South Portland may well have been robbed by the weather last round after posting 300 against Casterton District on day one and they still had 10 overs to bat on day two with skipper Scott Martin resuming on 169-not-out.

Tyrendarra sits second on the ladder behind Portland Colts and ahead of Macarthur with all three teams yet to lose a game and the defending premiers are expected to take no prisoners against the Demons in this game too.

Martin needs his top order to stand with him and forge a target that Tyrendarra will struggle to hunt down while the bowling attack needs to be diligent against a team that is one of the best teams seen in the competition for 30 years.

Both teams are expected to be at full strength, so the Demons have the players within their ranks to cause a huge upset.

Portland Tigers v Pigeon Ponds

THE round five posted game between Portland Tigers and Pigeon Ponds will be played at Henty Park tomorrow with each team desperate to post victory and remain in the hunt for a one-day final spot.

The game was postponed on 17 November due to the fire in a blue gum plantation which many of the Pigeon Ponds players were required to fight at the time and of course that left no time for a game of cricket.

These are two attacking teams that play the short format game well as each has attacking batsmen who can take a game in hand inside the space of a couple of overs and bowlers who can maintain the line and length needed to restrict the opposition from scoring freely.

Each team has players who have posted centuries already this summer with Shanaka Silva and Paul Procter raising their bats for the home side, and Simon Close and Peter Staude doing likewise for the visitors.

Looking at the two sides on paper, Close and Silva are the players that jump out from the page as being able to win the game with either bat or ball in hand.

If either gets going then the game will end early, but if both perform to ability then it will go down to the last over, so evenly matched are the teams.