By DEAN LAWSON

West Wimmera will attempt to push through a fresh opening in Horsham Cricket Association’s A Grade finals equation when it meets Jung Tigers in Horsham on Saturday.

The Warriors, who have been dog-paddling on the bottom of the ladder, have snatched a place in the top four and found winning form.

West Wimmera will also go into the clash against the Tigers knowing their opponents, which have lost their last three games, are off the boil, especially with the bat.

The Warriors set up a big match against the Horsham outfit by prevailing against Rupanyup-Minyip in the last of the season’s T20-round games, at Minyip.

Rupanyup-Minyip made 6-101 from its 20 overs, opener Jamie Byrne making 22, others getting starts and veteran Travis Hair blazing an unbeaten 32 in the middle-
order to keep his team in the game.

But West Wimmera, despite an early hiccup, passed the score with three wickets down, Liam Preston the stand-out with an unbeaten 59.

The Warriors meet a Tigers side that could manage only 85 while attempting to chase 128 for victory against Homers at  Horsham Sunnyside.

Homers opening pair Paddy Mills, 47, and Luke Deutscher, 20, provided the Pigeons with a good start and Chaminda Gamage clipped 27 to establish the target.

The Tigers, apart from first drop Grant Connelly, 35, struggled to gain batting traction as a mix of Homers seam and spin, featuring Baxter Perry, 3-7, and Adam Atwood, 3-5, and co did the damage.

Homers now sits this weekend out with a bye but will be keen observers in what happens at the city oval and also how Rupanyup-Minyip tries to bounce back against ladder-leader Noradjuha-Toolondo.

Rupanyup-Minyip meets the Bullants in its third game in a row at Minyip.

The return to one-day format will come as a welcome relief to some players and a disappointing farewell to the 20-over-a-side conditions for others.

The extra overs provide an opening for more psychology in the contests with the potential patience, guile and strategy to games and draw different players into the games.

This week: One-day games, Rupanyup-
Minyip v Noradjuha-Toolondo at Minyip, Jung Tigers v West Wimmera at Horsham City Oval, Homers, bye.

Last week: West Wimmera 3-105 (L. Preston 59no) d Rupanyup-Minyip 6-101 (T. Hair 32no), Homers 6-127 (P. Mills 47, C. Gamage 27; A. Adams 3-22) d Jung Tigers 85 (G. Connelly 35; A. Atwood 3-5, B. Perry 3-7).

Ladder: Noradjuha-Toolondo Bullants 66 points, 1.57 percent; Homers 42, 1.14; Jung Tigers 36, 0.89; West Wimmera 27, 0.94; Rupanyup-Minyip 27, 0.64.

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