BRUCK is clearly the team to beat in this year’s Wangaratta and District finals series.
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The minor premier will enter the business end of the season in white-hot form after thrashing Beechworth on Saturday.
Bruck posted a formidable 7-401 at the weekend to finish the season on top of the ladder.
Captain Jordan Blades, who scored 39, was one of several Bruck batsmen to contribute on Saturday and said the club’s weekend performance was huge heading into the finals.
“It’s massive,” Blades said.
“It was a pretty solid all-round performance.
“To post 400 is super.”
Darren Peterson was the anchor of Bruck’s innings with 126.
Mathew Thewlis (59 not out), Adam McNamara (54) and Jon Hyde (52) also made contributions.
Blades was rapt with Peterson’s innings and said he shaped as Bruck’s finals wildcard against City Colts this week.
“It was good to get him in a bit of form heading into the finals,” Blades said.
“He’s our x-factor.”
Despite hitting top form on the eve of finals, Blades said Bruck would still have to play its “best game of the season” to overcome Colts this weekend.
Yarrawonga-Mulwala takes on Myrtleford in the league’s other final.
The two winners will progress straight to the grand final.
The Lakers were far from convincing in beating Rutherglen United on Saturday.
Yarrawonga-Mulwala was eight wickets down when it passed the Redlegs’ total of 139.
Rutherglen skipper Jon Shaw backed up his 46 with the bat last weekend with three wickets on Saturday.
Myrtleford, meanwhile, has plenty of work to do after dropping its final game of the year to Wangaratta.
The Saints managed just 74 in their first innings and didn’t fare much better in their second dig, making 9-105.
Zac Guilfoyle took 6-38 for Wangaratta in that innings.
City Colts had little trouble defeating Corowa at Bill O’Callaghan Oval, rolling the Roos for 138 on Saturday after posting 7-270 a week earlier.
Isaac Willett took 5-33.
Whorouly-Gapsted was a convincing winner over Rovers United, Chris Oates and Josh Newton each making 69 as Whorouly-Gapsted cruised to a nine-wicket victory.