As with life, sport often comes down to key moments. The once high-flying City United are about to face such a moment - and their skipper, Brad Smith, wants them to face it with a smile.
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On day two of their penultimate-round clash against fourth-placed North Tamworth at No.1 Oval on Saturday, second-placed City will resume at 4-14 chasing 114. City are trying to avoid a third-straight loss, in what is a tight competition.
Smith will be at the crease for the start of play against Norths. He is three not out. Like all of City's top-order batsmen in this clash, he is struggling for runs.
"Like I said earlier in the year, I need to step up … I still haven't done that yet," he said. "As I said, we've still got the bats there to score the runs."
"I think we just need to clear our mind a bit and just get the job done," he added. "And, you know, just remember that we need to enjoy playing cricket again.
"I think we put a bit too much pressure on ourselves. Once we stop doing that we'll score some more runs."
Smith is "absolutely" confident City United can rebound to the type of form that saw them win five straight and top the table earlier in the season. "We've got a good side there, and, you know, we just need to back up our bowlers."
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At Riverside 1, red-hot Old Boys will look to put the finishing touches to Bective East.
The sight of allrounder Aaron Hazlewood steaming in and claiming six Bulls scalps last week would have further emboldened the competition-leading Old Boys.
Hazlewood's opening-bowling partner last Saturday, Troy Sands, went wicketless as the Bulls were routed for 102. But while Hazlewood was sidelined from bowling with a torn bicep (he returned to the attack last month), there was perhaps more pressure on veteran paceman Sands to get more wickets.
Sands has led the way for Old Boys this season, taking 16 wickets at an average of 21.94 and with a best of 3-20 - placing him ninth on the competition's bowler standings.
Old Boys captain Ben Middlebrook said Sands' experience was a big plus for the side, as was his jovial personality.
"He's been pretty good for us," the skipper said. "He was good at the start [of the season] when we needed that bit of experience."
On Saturday, Old boys will resume on 5-195. Middlebrook said last-placed Bective "probably shot themselves in the foot" in terms of making the finals.
At Riverside 2, South Tamworth will resume at 2-39 chasing West Tamworth's 217.
