As they say in the classics — it all comes down to this.
There’s four teams and two matches. And up for grabs are two spots in the 2022-23 GV Bush Bash League grand final, as the competition heads to Kyabram for the last round of the home and away season.
The hometown team, Hurley’s Hotel Hounds, has all but secured a spot in the Deakin Reserve decider after a pair of comprehensive victories to begin its campaign.
Who the Hounds will be facing is still a mystery, however, with the SRP Mud Dogs, Jarvis Delahey Crushers and Cobram Panel Works Panthers still in the hunt for that prized last position in the grand final.
So with the sun set to be shining on Kyabram Recreation Reserve, there is one thing we can be certain of — there’ll be two games of absorbing T20 cricket.
Hurley’s Hotel Hounds v SRP Mud Dogs, 2pm
The marquee match of round three, this clash will decide whether we will see the Hounds and the Mud Dogs in the final for the third straight season.
Clearly the standout team of the tournament to date, the Hounds come to their Kyabram Recreation Reserve home deck brimming with confidence after dominant victories over the Panthers and Crushers.
This match was also supposed to be the much-anticipated Bush Bash debut of former Test quick James Pattinson, but recent wrist surgery has unfortunately sidelined the marquee man for the rest of the season.
However, that does not mean there won’t be a tantalising array of star power taking the field in light blue, with star imports Cameron Stevenson and Michael Archer, alongside local legends Paul Newman and Kyle Mueller, set to put on a show for their adoring home crowd.
“It is very exciting to be back home, because we are travelling very well and the people of Kyabram love their sport, so they have taken a keen interest in our progress and gotten right behind us,” Hounds owner Brenton Sheppard said.
“Hopefully the locals come out in force to support us on what’s going to be an action-packed day.
“Our boys are hell-bent on putting on a show, and are excited to hopefully get one back over a Mud Dogs side that has gotten the better of us in a couple of grand finals.”
Along with their excellent Bush Bash form, the majority of the Hounds’ squad members come into this clash on the back of standout performances at their local clubs.
Mueller set Tatura’s Frank Howley Oval alight last weekend, smashing an unbeaten 110 off 91 balls, Newman whacked a brutal 95 off 73 for Kyabram Fire Brigade against Cooma, while Archer spun a web for Greenvale Kangaroos by taking 3-88 in their tight Premier loss to Dandenong.
They will also have Katandra star Jedd Wright and marquee batter Tyler Jones return to the line-up, rounding out a squad that Sheppard said he had full confidence would put on a show.
“We are going into this game with the sole intention of absolutely belting the Mud Dogs and finishing their campaign,” he said.
“We will bat pretty deep and are going to have some serious firepower with Tyler Jones and Jedd Wright coming back, so the plan is to go out all guns blazing and put a big score on the board.”
While things are looking rosy for the Hounds, they will still have to be at their best to overcome the two-time champion Mud Dogs.
Sitting in second spot after a big win over the Panthers last time out, a win in this match would all but secure a third straight grand final appearance.
And with ex-Melbourne Star Xavier Crone and marquee Bendigo recruit Zane Keighran set to bolster the Mud Dogs’ line-up, team manager Peter Holland said his team would make the trip west with no fear of the Hounds’ firepower.
“Our intent is to take the Hounds this Sunday, win that game, and then play them again and beat them in a few weeks’ time,” Holland said.
“I think this will be a very entertaining game with a lot of firepower on both sides, so I think the crowd will be in for a treat when it comes to the cricket being played.
“We put together a pretty sound performance across the board up in Cobram last time out, and I think with the team we will have on the park we are more than capable of doing it again.”
Cobram Panel Works Panthers v Jarvis Delahey Crushers, 11am
The first match of the day will carry heavy significance on how the final shapes up.
For the Jarvis Delahey Crushers, a win will momentarily boost them up to second spot, before they anxiously watch the second match and pray for a Hounds win.
The Panthers on the other hand have a bit more work to do.
Having lost their opening two games, the boys in magenta firstly have to beat the Crushers by a substantial margin before hoping the Hounds do the same to the Mud Dogs.
While there are many exterior factors and scenarios surrounding this match, Crushers owner Nathan Delahey said the sole focus for his team was to go out there and get a win.
“We need to win this one by a fair margin to cement our spot, because I’m pretty sure if the Mud Dogs win it will come down to a bit of nett run rate,” Delahey said.
“But we can’t afford to be thinking of other scenarios, we just need to head over to Kyabram with the sole intention of beating the Panthers and then we can worry about the ladder after that.”
The Crushers will be without star English opener Ethan Brookes, who has returned home to deal with a back issue.
But they will welcome marquee players Carlton’s Andy Poppa and Footscray young gun Dylan Brasher for this do-or-die contest.
For the Panthers on the other hand, this match is all about getting a win on the board and ending their season on a high, according to owner Mark Haberfield.
“The squad’s looking pretty good, we’re pretty settled and hoping for a better showing with the bat,” Haberfield said.
“We bowled well with the ball and were happy with the target we had to chase, but the batting wasn’t where it should’ve been.
“Hopefully against the Jarvis Delahey Crushers we can put together a complete performance.”
While Haberfield was coy on how the Panthers’ squad would look for Sunday’s encounter, he encouraged supporters to make the trip to Kyabram to enjoy a cracking day of cricket.
“It’s about getting a win for the boys,” he said.
“If we win well enough (to make the finals) that’s all well and good, but if not we’ll go back to the drawing board and come back bigger and better for GVBBL 04.”