The final round of the Western Zone Premier League holds extreme significance for two teams fighting it out for the last finals position.
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Parkes First XI’s emphatic win over Orange last Sunday has seen them leapfrog Cowra into third spot on the table with the two sides to meet this weekend.
Parkes bounced back from a 10 wicket loss to Bathurst with a morale boosting victory against Orange at Northparkes Oval last Sunday.
They will be hoping to produce a similar performance against Cowra at the same venue this Sunday.
The visitors were in a strong position to nail down the last finals position a month ago, but have since struggled and a big loss to Dubbo also hurt their net run rate.
“They are a good side and we will need to be near our best to progress,” Parkes First XI captain Anthony Heraghty said.
“They have some quality players who can turn a game.
“Mick Curtale has returned to their team after playing in Canberra while Nick Berry captained Western Zone.
“Other guys like opener Peter Guthrie can do a good job around those two players.
“We will concentrate on our game plan and look to execute at a high level.
“Our bowlers have been outstanding and will hopefully give their batsmen some trouble.
“Our batsmen need to work on batting in partnerships and making full use of the 50 overs.
“If we can do that we will go a long way,” he said.
Bathurst sit on top of the ladder, although a win by Dubbo against an under-performing Orange on Sunday will see the Orana side claim first spot and an automatic place in the decider.
The winner of Parkes and Cowra will finish third and likely travel to Bathurst for the semi-final.
If Parkes overcome Cowra on Sunday and face Bathurst on their home turf for a chance in the decider, they will be confident of progressing to another final in a competition they have dominated since its inception.
“I think we are definitely confident of reaching the final if we have to play Bathurst in the semi,” Heraghty said.
“The loss a couple of weeks ago was a wake up call we probably needed and that was reflected in our effort against Orange.
“We have a history of beating Bathurst in big matches when it counts.
“Sunday’s match against Cowra is our first focus and we will not be getting ahead of ourselves.
“It is going to be a tough match,” he said.
Sunday’s Western Zone Premier League final round match starts at 10am at Northparkes Oval.
