THE weekend has finally arrived, and so has the latest round of the Victoria Men’s Premier Cricket League, with more action just around the corner. Round 12 saw some low-scoring thrillers, as teams began to find serious form with ball in hand. With the competition beginning to wind down, the final batch of home-and-away fixtures sees some blockbuster matchups, and Round 13 is no exception. The schedule is jam packed with some cracking contests, starting with the competition’s only undefeated side looking to keep its streak rolling, but facing a fellow contender in a clash of titans.

St Kilda vs. Richmond
Saturday, February 19 @11am
Harry Trott Oval

The biggest match of the round will see Richmond travel down to Harry Trott Oval to take on St Kilda in a blockbuster clash on Saturday. The two sides occupy two spots in the top four, and have been producing some excellent work with both bat and ball, so this is shaping up to be a ripping affair.

St Kilda is now the only side that is yet to drop a game this season, and have been in unstoppable form throughout the year. With the 2021/22 season coming to an end in the coming weeks, they will be eager to keep their undefeated streak continuing as they look to set themselves up for a big finals series. They have been elite with bat in hand, notching the most runs of any team in the competition. One area they will be looking to improve is their economy with ball in hand, given they have conceded more runs than the second-placed Carlton. However, if Joshua Bartlett can back up his 3/18 effort from Round 12, then they look a strong chance of remaining unbeaten.

Richmond is the side faced with knocking off the competition powerhouse this weekend, and given their recent form, would be quietly confident of achieving this goal. They were outstanding against Frankston Peninsula in Round 12 and although they come up against a tougher opponent this time around, they will still enter this match with plenty to like about their own game, particularly with ball in hand. Richmond held its opponents to just 165 runs in that matchup, thanks to four wickets from Dominic Matarazzo (who also claimed a hat-trick). If they can repeat this feat against a quality St Kilda batting order, then an upset might just be on the cards.

Around the grounds

Moving to Bill Lawry Oval for the next matchup on the schedule, Northcote will play host to Dandenong when the two sides face off on Saturday afternoon. The home side will enter as heavy favourites, given their ability to post a winning score with bat in hand, so Dandenong certainly has an uphill battle in this clash, but upsets do happen.

The Camberwell Magpies will also be looking to cause a major boilover when they take on Footscray at Camberwell Sports Ground on Saturday. The Magpies currently sit in last spot on the ladder, with just two wins next to their name for the season. They face a tough task this time around, with Footscray enjoying a strong season and should be good enough to get the job done here.

Casey-South Melbourne will be looking to make their move up the standings in Round 13, when they take Kingston Hawthorn at Casey Fields on Saturday afternoon. The home side currently sit in sixth place, just one win out of the top five. They face an opponent that is struggling throughout the season, but will still need to bring their best to avoid an upset.

The next match on the schedule for Round 13 will see Prahran travel south to take on Geelong at Geelong Cricket Ground on Saturday. The home side have managed to sneak their way into the top eight over recent weeks, and will be looking to continue this momentum this weekend, but standing in their way is a Prahran side that is also eager to move into the top half of the standings.

Heading over to AH Butler Oval for the next match, Frankston Peninsula look set to welcome Ringwood when the two teams go head-to-head on Saturday afternoon in what should be a cracking contest. Both sides hold an identical record of four wins and seven losses to date, and have been producing similar styles of play, so this could go right down to the wire.

Carlton wil continue their pursuit of top spot when they take on Melbourne University at University Oval on Saturday afternoon. The home side have dropped out of the top eight over recent weeks thanks to a slight drop in form, but will be looking to bounce back here as the season wraps up. However, Carlton have been excellent this year, and will still be hopeful of St Kilda dropping a game, making first place available, but they must emerge winners here.

The penultimate match of the round will see Fitzroy Doncaster resume their quest for a top-eight spot when they take on Melbourne at Schramms Reserve on Saturday. The home side currently sit a game outside of the top half of the standings, and have the opportunity to make the leap this weekend, but Melbourne have been strong this year and will take some beating.

The final clash of Round 13 will see the Greenvale Kangaroos look to make it two in a row when they take on Essendon at Windy Hill on Saturday afternoon. The Kangaroos were excellent with bat in hand in their win over the Magpies, delivering a truly powerful score from their innings, and if they can repeat this effort again, it will go a long way in securing the win.