HAMILTON and District Cricket Association (HDCA) A grade teams are looking to the weather forecast for tomorrow in the hope that they can get back to playing two-day format matches for the first time in three seasons.

With the onset of the pandemic over the past few summers causing cricket across the nation to be all one-day games, the weather over the last few months has now conspired to wash out four of the available seven days of play this season.

The HDCA match committee has adopted a policy of getting as many games played each week as possible, which has seen a couple of matches be postponed to later dates after there only being a couple of available venues each match day.

Tomorrow there is hope that all A grade games will be able to get the two-day matches drawn for this week and next under way.

College v Macarthur

MACARTHUR will host the Eagles for a second time this summer after this game was moved from College Turf, following the round two one-day contest.

College took the points that day by only six runs back in round two, and with the batsmen having to take a different mindset into the longer format, this game could be just as close again.

With the players used to the shorter format, it will be interesting to see which team handles the challenge of the longer format better.

College will be looking to Hamish Bailey to guide youngsters like Jack Austin and Henry Bensch in the middle order after their skipper, Charles Murrie, opens the batting alongside Heath Schmidt.

The Eagles also have Russell Bennett, Ross Milne, Lachie Brown and Angus Brown, who are all vastly experienced at batting for long periods.

The Demons will need Michael Brilley to continue his great form when he strides to the wicket at number three, but Ollie Wortley is one young Demon who will enjoy having more time to bat in the middle.

Former skipper, Jeremy Sheehan, will be the man to take charge of the middle order for the home side, but he needs Jack Wortley to continue with his early season form in support.

We may see one of these teams adopt the current “BazBall” style of the England Test team, whereby the players take the attacking skills of the one-day game into the longer format, which has proven to work for the English in its last home season, as both teams will be looking to post big scores when at the crease.

Grampians v Pigeon Ponds

THIS is another game shifted from a turf wicket and will now be played at Mitchell Park.

The Pumas sit atop both the premiership and one-day shield ladders, after a flying start to their season in rounds one and two saw the side register two bonus point victories.

Since then, the side is yet to play again with the players not having hit a ball in anger for six weeks.

In fact, the last time these teams played a game was against each other back in round two at Mitchell Park, when Ponds had a badly depleted team take the field and were soundly thrashed by the Pumas.

Tomorrow will be a different story, as Simon Close and Michael Close are expected to play today, while Will Staude will also be listed on the team sheet which gives the side more depth.

Grampians will be without Lachie Field, who has returned to Premier Cricket for Geelong, but his spot will be taken by one of the Pumas young stars.

English import, Harrison Wood, must be wondering where all the Australian sunshine that he no doubt was expecting has gone, as he waits to ply his leg spin again.

Two full strength teams from these clubs sets up a match many will have highlighted when the draw was released.

St Andrews v Casterton District

ORIGINALLY drawn for Clem Young Oval, this game will be played at Island Park, where the teams met back in round two.

St Andrew’s goes into the match with an advantage of having played and won last Saturday, while Casterton District had its game postponed due to unavailable venues.

Once again, the Drews relied on Brendan Huf to lead the way with the bat, as the opener posted the first century of the season and took his personal tally to 19 tons across his career.

His 104-not-out anchored the team’s innings, but the rest of the order failed to take the opportunity presented to them.

Only Michael Fitzpatrick (17), Darryl Fry (14) and Damien Logan (22) reached double figures in support of Huf.

Back in round two, Casterton District strangled the Drews’ run rate, as the visitors chased a target, with some tight line and length bowling from the attack.

St. Andrew’s believe it’s a much better long format side, enjoying the two-day version of the game, and the players have the patience to bat for long periods of time.

Casterton District does have the talent to play the same style of game as their visitors, as Rick Killey and Kane Forbes are more than capable of putting their heads down and playing long innings while scoring at a good rate.

Each team has similar bowling attacks, but the Drews’ skipper, Russell Elton, will bowl attacking off spin, while the hosts don’t have a sinning option of the same calibre, which may prove costly.