Kookaburras' Mick Densley goes for the slog as Albion skipper James Mack looks on. The two sides will do battle for the Gunnedah silverware today. Photo by Grant Robertson 090313GRB17
ALBION trounced Kookaburras last time they met but aren’t expecting today’s Gunnedah grand final to be a repeat.
Kookaburras disposed of Court House in the preliminary final last week and in the process showed they were a better side than their last round performance against Albion might indicate.
They could only manage 77, which Albion chased down with relative ease.
Albion skipper James Mack isn’t getting carried away by that result though and knows they’ll have to be at the top of their game to go back-to-back.
“We know we’ve got a good enough team to win on the day,” Mack said.
“If we put it together we’ve got a good batting and got good bowling side,” he said.
They have been able to a few times this season. “We posted 200 once. We’ve also chased 200,” he said.
Last time out against Kookaburras they were chasing a lot less than that.
“Our bowling played a big part,” Mack said.
“The bowlers pegged them back in the first 20, which made it hard for them.”
In a 40-over game you can do that.
That will be the plan again today.
“Our fielding was good that day (too), not much got through,” Mack said.
Karthikeyan Muthusamy (MK) and Blake Small were the two that caused the damage. They claimed seven of the 10 wickets between them.
They’ll also be keys with the bat. Small won them the two-day grand final last year, Mack said.
Muthusamy has been opening for them this season and along with Mack, brother Andy and Sam Crafter will have a big role to play with the bat.
Mitch Swain could also too.
He did well for the first XI this season and two weeks ago smacked three sixes and seven fours in a quick-fire 64.
“Mitch is a big hitter down the order,” Mack said.
“If we can keep wickets in hand it’ll give him free reign.”
The batsmen will have to be on guard.
“They (Kookaburras) bowled well in the semi final against Court House,” Mack said.
They restricted them to 6-96.
One of their key men will be Cameron Milne.
He took three wickets last week and is probably their biggest danger with the bat.
So far Albion have controlled him fairly well.
“He hasn’t hurt us too much. That’s not to say he can’t,” Mack said.