Horouta captain David Situ said it would be a tough test, with hat-trick-taker Bruno Judd unavailable and opening batsman Ben Brick looking unlikely to play.
“HSOB are such a strong team there’s not really anything we’re targeting. We’re just looking to execute well on our bowling and batting.”
HSOB have looked in control through the season’s opening half, with some comfortable wins under their belt.
They were tested last weekend against OBR but showed their grit and depth to come through.
With five wickets in hand, they needed 13 runs to win. Then they lost four wickets in consecutive overs and were forced to send an injured Dave Castle to the crease.
They will want a more solid innings across the board tomorrow. Last Saturday a century from Baxter Mackay was the key to victory.
With that performance he jumped to the top of the runscorers leaderboard with 145 from the opening five games of the season.
HSOB have the strongest top order in the competition, and a batting line-up that is among the the deepest. They will be confident that strength can push them to a healthy total.
Opening bowlers Marshall Norris and Cody Andrews are dangerous with the new ball and regularly put their opponents on the back foot with tight, economical bowling that forces mistakes.
Horouta will have to weather the early storm from Norris and Andrews and target one of the several spin bowlers HSOB use in their rotation.
HSOB captain Carl Shaw said it was always exciting to be heading into the knockout stage where anything could happen.
“Horouta are not to be underestimated. They have a lot of talent that can win any game on their day, so we need to focus on our game and continue to improve and enjoy our cricket.”
OBR and GBHS were common foes last year, facing each other in every final of the season.
But this year has been different. Boys’ High have struggled to find their footing against both OBR and HSOB.
Last Saturday, they looked to have turned a corner. Boys’ High produced some confident batting as they cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Horouta.
On the back of that performance, they will have high hopes of avenging this season’s loss to OBR where they were dismissed for 145.
A par score this season looks to be around the 170 mark, but all teams have the potential to deliver a crushing blow and score upwards of 250 in an innings.
Boys’ High have been consistent with the ball and have shared wickets around a vast and varied bowling attack.
Skipper Nathan Trowell and Daniel Stewart have found success with their spin, while opening bowler Josiah Turner is consistent with his line and length.
Trowell said they were keen to take the positives and momentum from their game last weekend into tomorrow’s match.
“We are really eager,” he said.
“We know that in knockout cricket anything can happen on the day.
“Taking early wickets and putting pressure on their batting line-up with the new ball will be the key this weekend.”
The team will be unchanged from last weekend.
OBR will want to bounce back from last Saturday’s loss and have named one of their strongest squads this season.
David Gray, Kieran Venema, Dane Thompson, James Torrie and James Bristow are all back in the fold, giving the team a welcomed boost in experience.
After their valiant but unsuccessful resistance last Saturday, they will be confident they can find key wickets when they need them.
With the added pressure of a semifinal, the intensity will lift, and that could work in OBR’s favour.
A loss tomorrow would mean an early break, with no more regular-season cricket until the new year.
OBR captain Nick Greeks said they were “pumped” for what he expected would be a good contest.
“It will be a tough game, and we are looking forward to the challenge.”
He said they would look to make early inroads into the Boys’ High batting line-up with the new ball to try to keep their in-form players quiet.
“How we contain Graham Sharp will be a big factor in the game,”Greeks said.
“Also, Cohen Loffler has been bowling and batting well.”
Sharp hasn’t gone on to score a big total lately, but after a blockbuster season last summer, it’s only a matter of time before he goes on to score game-defining runs.
