THE weekend is finally here which means its time to start thinking about the upcoming fifth round of the Victoria Men’s Premier League, which should deliver some exciting cricket once again. After a round of big scores across the ground, teams will be looking to replicate this once again. However, with the current standings not separated by much after four rounds, things are likely to get interesting with some eye-catching matchups set to shake things up as we conclude the first third of the season.

In the first match, Carlton will host Kingston Hawthorn at Princes Park on Saturday, in what should be an interesting battle. Carlton have been undefeated from their three matches this season. Their most recent outing came against Ringwood, where they notched up a remarkable 286 from their 50-over innings, and if they can do this again against Kingston Hawthorn, it will go a long way towards securing their fourth win of the season. They will be looking to hold off an opponent who will be seeking an upset victory on their way to their second win of the season.

The second clash of the round will see Casey-South Melbourne head to Shepley Oval to take on Dandenong this Saturday. Dandenong are in strong form after their win over Frankston Peninsula in Round 4, which was largely due to a five-wicket haul from Matthew Wilson. If Wilson and his side can replicate this performance this weekend, they may prove tough to beat. Their opponents in Casey-South Melbourne will be looking to bounce back after last week’s loss to Footscray, but will need to deliver a much stronger performance if they are to achieve this goal.

Moving to Windy Hill, Essendon will play host to the Camberwell Magpies on Saturday as they look to claim their first win of the season. The home side have sustained three losses from their three matches to date this season, and will be looking to amend this against the Magpies. This is a side that is well within their reach, given the Magpies have only won one of their three matches this season, so this could prove an exciting match.

In the fourth match for the round, Fitzroy Doncaster will be looking to move up the ladder with a win over Melbourne University when the two sides face off at Schramms Reserve on Saturday. This feat may prove tough given Melbourne University are yet to drop a game, with three wins from their three matches, while Fitzroy Doncaster have achieved just the one victory to date and were bested by Northcote last weekend. However, they will be hopeful of causing an upset in Round 5, but will need to bring their best.

Over at Mervyn G Hughes Oval, Melbourne will be looking to even the standings when they take on Footscray on Saturday afternoon. Footscray are currently undefeated from three matches, but a loss here would see them sit at level pegging with Melbourne, who currently have just one loss to their name so far throughout their 2021/22 campaign. This loss came last weekend at the hands of St Kilda, so expect the side to bounce back this weekend with a stronger performance which may cause an upset.

The next match this round will see Ringwood travel to Geelong Cricket Ground to take on Geelong on Saturday in what should be another exciting clash. Both sides have secured one win on the season to date, and are coming off tough losses last weekend. This match provides the opportunity for one side to bounce back in a positive fashion, while the loser will be left with plenty of work to do to keep up with the top half of the ladder, so there is plenty at stake in this match for the two clubs.

Moving to Bill Lawry Oval, Northcote will host Greenvale Kangaroos when the two sides lock horns in their matchup on Saturday. The two sides are enjoying contrasting seasons, with the home side winning two of their three clashes while the Kangaroos are still searching for their first win. They will be hoping this drought is broken this weekend, but Northcote are in red hot form and appear to take some beating. Last week, their entire top six was able to make double-digits, which is a good sign for a batting order.

In a cross-town clash, Richmond will travel down to take on Prahran at their home oval of Toorak Park on Saturday. There is just one win separating the sides in the standings despite Richmond sitting four spots lower on the ladder (this is an indication of how close things are at the moment). Both sides will be eager to earn the win in this clash, given how close the standings currently are, but Prahran are in a decent amount of form, particularly with bat in hand.

The final match of the round will see St Kilda lock horns with Frankston Peninsula when the sides play at CitiPower Centre on Saturday. St Kilda currently sit on top of the ladder with an undefeated record after three matches, and will be looking to keep this spot. However, Carlton are hot on their tail, so they will be desperate to maintain their position on the ladder with a win on Saturday. Frankston Peninsula will have other ideas, looking to cause an upset despite just one win for the season to date.