Lavington captain Mick Galvin says the season would be a failure if the competition newcomers failed to play finals.
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The Panthers will resume on 4-100 against Yackandandah on Saturday at the Lavington Sportsground.
The home team is currently fifth and will be hoping to hold off seventh-placed Mount Beauty.
Because of last week’s rain, the match reverts to normal conditions, allowing Lavington to bat out the 80 overs if it’s good enough.
“That’s what we’ve been told, but we’re just in the top six, so we’re under the impression we need to get a win,” Galvin said.
“It’s all going to be about how quickly we can post a big enough score, make sure we don’t lose.
“Hopefully we’re not batting for more than 20 to 25 overs.”
The Panthers would therefore be looking at a score around 225.
“Obviously Cooper Garoni’s a massive wicket, he’s a classy provincial cricketer,” Galvin said of the visitors’ batting.
Midway through the season, Lavington looked capable of snaring the minor premiership, but it hasn’t won since December.
Corowa scored a 92-run thumping in round 11, with Baranduda edging home by three wickets in the next game.
The Panthers had a bye prior to the current match.
“It would definitely mean a lot (to make finals), we’re pretty disappointed that we’re in this position after a pretty good start to the season,” Galvin aid.
“I think we’d definitely see it as a pretty big failure if we can’t get in.”
Baranduda will resume at home on 8-118 against Mount Beauty.
The Power is looking to retain its title, but needs to rip through the last two wickets and post the required total.
Mt Beauty might then have to keep on batting, given how tight those last three positions are for finals.
Elsewhere, Dederang is 5-148 from 48.3 overs against Bethanga.
Luke Deans will resume on 50.
He’s been ultra consistent this season, with just the one single-figure score.
Deans has made three half centuries from his last five innings.
Howlong, meantime, faces a stern test, falling to 2-24 in reply to Corowa’s 8 (dec) 278.
Corowa’s Nathan Rhodes was superb, posting his highest score at senior level with 113.
Eskdale and Kiewa was the most affected match, due to the rain, with only Eskdale having any chance of sneaking into the top six.
Heading into the final round, the ladder was: Wodonga 78.03, Dederang 77.45, Yackandandah 75.38, Baranduda 67.08, Lavington 65.08, Corowa 63.01, Mt Beauty 61.80, Eskdale 55.93, Howlong 52,92, Kiewa 51.57, Bethanga 44.17.
