GRAND FINAL PREVIEW: WESTERN WARRIORS VS SONS OF PITCHES Venue: Windy Hill, Essendon Toss time: 1:30pm Game time: 1:45pm Match preview: We have been talking about this match for weeks. Even before the tournament had started, we were entertaining thoughts of a Western Warriors vs Sons of Pitches grand final showdown. When some of the favoured teams unexpectedly got knocked out of the tournament after the group stages, these thoughts started to take fruition. The Western Warriors have continued their Infinity dominance, but the Sons of Pitches have looked like the only team that may be able to end their streak. As we all make the trek over to Windy Hill on Sunday, two highly focused teams will await us. One has been accustomed to the big stage, while the other has had glimpses of the glitz and glamour. Which team will step up in the spotlight and steal the stage? The atmosphere will be electric on Sunday. Not only will the players experience a different vibe to the previous games in this tournament, they will need to make adjustments, since the game will be played on a premier turf wicket. Both sides will look to arrive early to catch the second innings of the all-star game between Infinity Orange (Team Nav) and Infinity Yellow (Team Arj). While this should give them a feel of how the wicket is playing, two players from the Sons of Pitches decided this was not enough, and have put their hands up for selection in the all-star game. Asitha will be representing Team Nav and will look to get his leg-spinners gripping early, while Malinga will hope to find his groove early in the day, as he takes the field for Team Arj. As soon as the all-star game is over, things will get serious. On a turf pitch and much bigger ground, the two captains will have to employ a lot of tactics. Every move that Adnan Khawaja and Shenuka Peiris make, will be heavily scruitinised, not only by all those in attendance, but by special guest commentators, Div Goyal and Ravi Wickramaratne. Let’s take a look at the sides in greater detail. While the Western Warriors have kept their unbeaten streak alive, they have not been their usual dominant selves in this tournament. They are missing key players, but Adnan has done well to bring whatever 11 players are available each week together to ensure a team victory. In previous tournaments, he has had the luxury of having one or two players impose their dominance and put in MVP performances. This time, it has been the skipper himself that has lead from the front. Out of the 11 players that will take the field for the Warriors on Sunday, Adnan has nearly triple the amount of runs as the next leading run scorer for the team. Khawaja has scored 202 runs, while their keeper, Nasir Cheema, is sitting on 71 runs. With 5 wickets, Adnan is also their leading wicket taker (even though 4 of these came in the first game of the tournament). What stands out though, is that the Warriors have had 10 different players with a wicket to their name. While the other players on this team have not stood out individually, they have put up their hands and contributed when necessary to get their team over the line. Their biggest strength seems to stem from the belief that they will win every single game they play. Even when they are not playing their best cricket, they somehow figure out a way to win every game. It has taken a lot of mental fortitude and resolve to have kept this undefeated streak intact. There are some other teams that share this similar confidence. While there is always a sense of arrogance in the Warriors’ camp, what really differentiates the Warriors from the rest of the pack, is that Adnan never takes a game lightly. Whether it is a group game played in Fairbairn Park against a weaker team, or a semi final played in Monash University against a young upstart team or a grand final played at Junction Oval against one of the most favoured teams in the competition, he ensures his players remain focused on the task on hand. This hasn’t always been easy for Khawaja and even as recently as their semi final against The Bosses, he wasn’t afraid to get his team together and give them a stern talk. He wasn’t happy with how they let their foot of the pedal with The Bosses tailenders, who managed to scrounge their way to a respectable total. While the Warriors won the game comfortably in the end, they cannot afford to let their firm grip on the game slip even so slightly against the well-rounded and highly talented Sons of Pitches. In the other corner, we see arguably the most well-balanced team in the tournament. The Sons of Pitches have had star individual performances throughout this tournament, but it has been their collective team effort that has impressed. Their team composition is intimidating, as they blend together top-order hitters, solid strokemakers, batsmen that like to rotate the strike, big pinch-hitters down the order, the most versatile bowling attack in the tournament and one of the craftiest spinners in the tournament. All the boxes seem to be ticked for the Sons of Pitches. The fact that they had 5 players selected for the all-star draft pool, 2 of the top 3 run scorers and 2 of the top 4 leading wicket takers is indicative of a team with players in form. They have employed a similar game plan with the bat in every game this tournament, and will look to continue the trend. Shenuka has captained this team exceptionally and the biggest testament to his leadership has been able to gel the players together. Every player in this team knows their role and how to contribute when the time comes. A perfect example is his brother, Shenal. Usually accustomed to smashing opening bowlers to all ends of the park at the top of the order, Shenal has found himself in a new role in this tournament. He comes in later in the innings, and looks to launch from the platform laid by Shenuka and Rowen. While he may have struggled to adjust to this new role, Shenal has not backed down from the challenge and, in fact, played an instrumental role in getting his team the victory over the Smashers XI in a thrilling semi final. His scorching hot 24 runs in just 9 deliveries ensured they finished their innings with a flurry. Many of these players enjoy playing their cricket together at Parkville, and their team chemistry is high. They know they are good enough. We know they are good enough. It’s just a matter of executing their game plan just one more time. The two captains have really stepped up in this tournament. They both delivered man of the match performances in their respective semi finals and it is no secret they are two of the leading candidates for the coveted tournament MVP trophy. However, both of them have their eyes firmly set on a much more important trophy. The Western Warriors have remained undefeated across 6 tournaments in Melbourne over nearly 4 years, and hence it feels strange to say that the momentum seems to be with the Sons of Pitches. Even with all the momentum, and a lineup where multiple players are in tremendous form, the Sons of Pitches will go into this contest as underdogs, but only ever so slight ones. We have learnt, over the years, that this Western Warriors’ outfit is as professional as it gets and have always found a way to win. Will history repeat itself, or will we witness a change in the guard on Sunday? This is shaping up to be one of those games where it is hard to predict if this will be a one-sided mauling, an absolute thriller or a high-scoring run-fest. Whatever it is, let’s enjoy in the success of the two strongest teams in the tournament. This game has been many years in the making, so something has got to give. Which team will be able to put it all together on the day? Either way, history will be made. This is going to be special. Keys to the game: Western Warriors- It seems like the batting of this team will take care of itself. The bowlers will need to put in their best performance of the tournament, and the key will be taking wickets in regular intervals. They can’t afford to let the Sons of Pitches’ batsmen get into a rhythm, and they definitely can’t let Shenuka and Rowen get into a long partnership. Adnan will look to frequently change his bowlers to avoid the batsmen getting settled. Sons of Pitches- change nothing. They have a solid game plan, which is working. They need to just remain focused on the game, and the game alone. Forget the crowd, the DJ and whatever is going on outside of the boundary. If they continue to play the way they have, they will make history. Form guide (most recent first): Western Warriors: WWWW Sons of Pitches: WWWWLW Team news: One of the most capped Infinity players, Shaubhik Nagpal of the Sons of Pitches, has had to go overseas for work. He will be missed at the top of the order, so it will be interesting to see who Shenuka promotes. Will Shenal return to the top? Quotes: “I had to get my team together, and have a team meeting. I said, ‘You can’t do this. If you want to do this in group stages, [its] okay, but not in finals’” Western Warriors’ skipper, Adnan Khawaja, explains to the media the importance of keeping their foot on the pedal right until the end of every game. Has the captain’s talk resonated with every player? “It’ll be a super game…super psyched! I’ll get all the mucking done before the game out of the way” - Sons of Pitches’ captain, Shenuka Peiris, is pumped for the game, and will get his partying out of the way on Saturday night, before waking up to focus on what may be the biggest game of his life. Will he even be able to sleep? Unofficial betting odds: Western Warriors $1.70 Sons of Pitches $1.90
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 11:58:26 +0000
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