The No.1 bowler in the Blast is Stars seamer Paul Stewart. Both he and the Broncos Graham Hudson have 11 wickets, while Eagles captain Matt Crampton and 37-years-young Jimmy Holden of the Bail-Breakers are tied on seven wickets apiece.
Lancastrian Holden — a Blackburn Rovers football supporter for life — is focused.
“The key to bowling in T15 is knowing your batsmen, where they want to score, having variation and restricting them to single runs — or even bowling dot-balls. That puts massive pressure on them.”
Both Holden and the competition’s leading run-scorer, Nic Hendrie (382 runs at an average of 76), need to be close to their best against the Stars tonight. The absence of regular skipper Jak Rowe, fellow policeman David Salmon, their High School Old Boys clubmate Isaac Hughes and Gisborne Boys’ High School first 11 player-coach Josiah Turner will necessitate Hendrie making another large score.
The Bail-breakers beat the Stars by six wickets on opening night. Hendrie made only five but his opening partner Salmon made the first half-century — 61 not out off 49 balls — of the Walker Shield season. On January 25, Hendrie hit five sixes and seven fours in his 72 retired off 36 balls in an eight-wicket win.
Stewart has lately donned wicketkeeping gloves for his Boys’ High first 11 but must figure in Stars captain Glen Udall’s bowling plan.
Udall said: “We approach our batting with a carefree attitude but balance this with disciplined bowling. We’ve already knocked them over once, and we’ll be working hard to do it again.”
Udall acknowledges the Bail-Breakers’ status as favourites to win the fourth meeting in this top-of-the-table clash tonight.
Broncos captain Craig Christophers said that in terms of a game plan, his team might look to chase if the light was good.
“We’ll go hard at the ball from the first delivery,” he said.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing the likes of Arun Kurup and Sam Patterson hit a few sixes.”
Christophers’ aim — to bowl the Eagles out for under 100 runs — will require the removal of Crampton.
Crampton’s 42-ball 61 in the 43-run win against the Broncos on opening night was an outstanding innings from a young player of considerable ability, and the Eagles as a unit are keen to compete this evening.
Crampton said: “Robert Schwass is back; Travis Mitchell, Adam Whibley and Tayla Hollis will be there; Sam and Tom Keogh are in. We’re looking forward to this. We’re up for it tonight.”
