Brock Ridgewell was en route from Sydney to Tamworth on Friday with one goal in mind: destroy South Tamworth’s batting line-up and potentially book his side second spot on the ladder and a likely major semi-final against Old Boys.
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Along with left-arm spinner Harrison Kelly, he will spearhead Wests’ attack on day two of the clash at No.1 Oval, with Souths resuming on 1-33 chasing 202
Wests veteran Shaun Stevenson said the side’s reliance on Ridgewell, first grade’s leading wicket-taker this year, and Kelly would be magnified due to the loss of himself and fellow off-spinner Dan Collinson from the attack.
Ridgewell – who has taken 24 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 20.38 this season – is in career-best form after stepping up after Wests lost their three main bowlers at the end of last season.
February marks his commencement of university in Sydney, hence the Friday return trip and him missing day one of the Souths clash.
Stevenson, sidelined with a broken toe and a member of Wests’ last premiership side in 2010-11, said: “I think for us, if we’re gonna win tomorrow [Saturday] – we’ve got no Collo [Collinson] and I’m obviously out injured as well – a lot depends on Brock and also Harrison [Kelly] . Brocky has been bowling well, and it’s good to see.”
He added: “I think one of the good things is we bowl good in partnerships … As long as we bowl in partnerships and take our chances, we should get away with the win, and it should nearly cement us second spot going into that last game.”
With one regular-season round remaining after this week, Wests are 5.57 points ahead of third-placed Souths.
