THE weekend is just about here, and so is another round of the Victoria Men’s Premier Cricket League, with plenty of action ahead. After Round 5 saw the shape of the ladder change quite a bit, those victorious will be looking to keep this momentum rolling this weekend, particularly those at the top of the ladder. Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne University are all locked in at four wins apiece, so the top three is extremely close. The stakes are extremely high for these sides, with one loss likely putting them a step behind their peers, so expect them all to come out with this in mind.

The first match of the round will see the Camberwell Magpies take on Northcote at Bill Lawry Oval on Saturday in what looms as an important match for both teams. The Magpies have secured just the one win this season, and are in danger of falling out of contention for a finals spot early in the season. However, a win against Northcote would shoot them back up the standings, so they will be looking to exactly this in their round 6 clash. Northcote currently sit in fourth spot, one win behind the ‘big three’ mentioned above, so a win here will keep them in the hunt for a top-three position over the coming weeks.

The next match will see Footscray travel to J Coburn Oval to take on Frankston Peninsula on Saturday. Footscray have lost just the one match so far this season, which came last weekend against Melbourne in what was somewhat of an upset. They will be looking to bounce back this weekend, which they have shown in the past they are more than capable of. Frankston Peninsula have enjoyed a contrasting season to their opponents, winning just one match this season. However, they will be given confidence by the fact that Footscray were upset last weekend, and Frankston Peninsula will be looking to make this a repeating trend.

Moving to Walter Galt Reserve, two similarly performing sides will go head-to-head when Kingston Hawthorn play host to Geelong when the two teams clash on Saturday. Both sides have secured just one win for the season, and this match provides the perfect opportunity to make the next step in their season. The key to the match will be whoever is able to perform stronger with bat in hand, as the two sides have done quite well bowling in recent weeks, but have struggled to post a winning score.

In the fourth match of round 6, Dandenong will be looking to cause a major upset when they take on Melbourne University at University Main Oval on Saturday. Dandenong have won just the one match this season, and have shown instability with bat in hand, with Casey-South Melbourne’s bowling attack having no trouble dismantling the Dandenong batsmen at the crease. Melbourne University will be looking to keep their winning streak rolling against an opponent they would consider beatable. However, with this expectation comes pressure, so they will need to be performing well to make sure an upset does not happen.

Over at Albert Ground, Melbourne will be looking to continue their promising start to the season when they take on Essendon on Saturday. Melbourne have been impressive in the beginning of their 2021/22 campaign, winning three of their four matches. They will be also riding the momentum of their upset win over Footscray last weekend, so they will likely enter this match in red-hot form. This means Essendon, will have a tough task ahead of them, but will by no means be rolling over and accepting defeat. This provides the perfect opportunity to send a message to the rest of the competition by snagging a major upset.

The next match of the round will see Carlton look to keep their spot on top of the ladder as they search for another win when they take on the Greenvale Kangaroos at Greenvale Reserve on Saturday. Carlton have been terrific thus far this season, not losing a single game, and currently hold top spot based on percentage. With two sides hot on their tail, they will be eager to get the job done this weekend against a Kangaroos side that is yet to secure their first win, and will need a miracle to cause an upset here, but they do happen.

Richmond will be looking to keep their spot in the top eight when they take on Fitzroy Doncaster at Central Reserve North on Saturday. They currently occupy eighth spot based on percentage, and a loss here could see them drop quite a few spots depending on the results around them. They will enter this clash favoured given Fitzroy Doncaster have won just the one game for the season, but there are no certainties in sport, so this match could go either way.

Over at Russell Lucas Oval, fans will be treated to one of the most intriguing matches of the round when Prahran and Ringwood lock horns on Saturday. The sides are separated by just one ladder position, currently occupying the ninth and 10th spots on the ladder. They are only sitting outside the top eight based on percentage, so this match offers the opportunity for the victor to move up and potentially lock in a top eight spot come round’s end. There is not much separating the teams so expect a thrilling match that could come down to the final over.

The final match of the round will see St Kilda look to keep their winning streak rolling when they take on Casey-South Melbourne at Casey Fields on Saturday. St Kilda currently sit in second place, wedged between the two other unbeaten teams, and will be looking to steal top spot with a win this weekend. In their path is a Casey-South Melbourne side that will have no intentions of being easybeats. The seventh placed team has won two of their four games, and should prove a formidable opponent, so this could end up being one of the games of the round.