Towns heavily favoured to complete historic hat-trick but Bluff Point have free swing at ending title drought

Towns aim to create club history in tomorrow’s 60th Geraldton Bendigo Bank Cricket League grand final where they face Bluff Point at GBSC Park.

Towns have been a dominant force in the league with 11 premierships but the club predates the existing association and has 17 flags in all.

Long-term supporters know the club has never won a premiership hat-trick but captain Sam Crouch said that’s irrelevant.

“Some players would be aware of the history and some would not but we’re focussed on this game, not the past 75 years,” Crouch said.

The point of difference for Towns may be left-armer Ringo McKenna, unquestionably the competition’s top fast bowler.

Since shifting from Wanderers, he has taken 58 wickets at 9.24, figures that include three five-wicket hauls and a hat-trick.

“Ringo is incredible and could definitely do some damage but he’s not our only option with the ball,” Crouch said.

“Hopefully our depth is what gets us over the line and we’ll basically have a full squad to choose from.”

Towns have match winners across the line-up with Crouch himself third on the run charts and exciting youngsters Kodi Giltrow, Austin Breen and Tom Forsyth along with experienced heads Josh DeLacy and Jai Russell.

Bluff Point hasn’t won the title since 1986-87 so it will be 37 barren years if they fail, however O’Brien said he is proud of the club regardless of the result on Saturday.

“I don’t see it as pressure, the club has come a long way in my three years and it’s well documented that we’d struggled for many years,” O’Brien said.

“Everyone is going think Towns is going to win so we’re playing a bit with house money which is good.”

“We’ve got a great camaraderie in the group and a win on the weekend will no doubt be massive for the club.”

Much of the Pointers fortunes may lay with O’Brien himself to make serious runs as he did in the semi-final but believes in his bowlers to be able to take on Towns.

“People forget about our first half of the year - we were at the top of the table, beat Towns in the T20 and played some quality cricket.”

“I understand to win you have to make enough runs but we have four of the comp’s best 10 bowlers and even with only 100 to defend, I’m confident we can do that,” he said.

Aaron Thomas has been in superb form with the ball along with Mitch McAuliffe, Matt Russell and Antonio Paradella while the firepower is there to trouble Towns with the likes of Sam Millett and Carl Shilling if they can get going.

However other clubs are in agreement that Towns once again look too strong.

Wanderers captain Kade Gillingham said, “Towns have great bowling and lots of batters who can make runs,” while Sportsmans’ captain Clint Yeates said their experience will be the difference.

“Towns have more finals experience and depth and the Pointers has a lot riding on O’Brien making runs,” he said.

Chapman Valley Northampton’s Nigel Routledge agreed with Yeates’ assessment.

“I’d love BP to win but Towns has more depth, finals experience and quality in Russell and McKenna.”

* In B-grade, Bluff Point meet Chapman Valley-Northampton who were respectively third and fourth in the qualifiers.

CVN last won a “seconds” title in 2005-06 while the Pointers has gone without one since 1969-70.

Pointers’ match-winners feature Theo Curtis, Paul Warhurst, Matt Taylor, Peter Maxwell, Jason Staiger and skipper Brett Marendaz.

Key for CVN are Scott Harrison, captain Nathan Mawer, Paul Simmons, Tom Gray, Shahid Khan and Toby Johnson.

The A grade match will begin at 11am while B grade will start at 1pm at the Recreation Ground.