WITH the weekend having finally arrived, preparations for the upcoming round of the Victorian Men’s Premier Cricket League will be wrapped up as teams get ready for another batch of games. This week will see the second-last round of the regular season, with finals approaching at a rapid pace. Despite there being just two weeks remaining, the top-eight is far from locked in, so there is plenty to look forward to around the grounds this weekend. In one of the biggest matchups of the round, one side will look to keep their finals hopes alive with an upset win.

Melbourne vs Geelong

Saturday, March 5 @11am
Albert Ground

With finals approaching, there are a number of big clashes for those sides still looking to make finals, and one of these is the matchup between Melbourne and Geelong at Albert Ground on Saturday.

Melbourne has secured itself a top-four spot, with 10 wins coming from their 12 outings this season. The Demons have been one of the strongest teams in the competition throughout the 2021/22 season, and will be looking to keep this momentum rolling heading into the postseason. Despite the loss of young gun Will Pucovski, this side still has the tools to compete with the best of them. They will enter this match as favourites, but Geelong have shown a bit over recent weeks, so they will still need to bring their A-game, but after Blake Thomson‘s 100-run effort last week, they’ll have plenty of confidence.

Geelong will be fighting for their season when the Cats take on Melbourne in this clash, and they currently sit in ninth spot on the ladder. They have been in some nice form of late, and this culminated in a season-defining win over the second-placed Carlton in Round 14. This win essentially kept their season alive, and with a number of teams holding the same record above them, a win against Melbourne will do wonders for their quest for a top-eight spot at the conclusion of next round. If they are to get this job done, they will need star batsman Hayden Butterworth at his best when at the crease, given the scores he is capable of producing.

Around the grounds …

Fitzroy Doncaster will also look to keep its slim chances of a finals appearance alive when the Lions take on Prahran at Schramms Reserve on Saturday afternoon. The home side are currently sitting a couple of spots outside the top eight, and are a mathematical chance of sneaking into finals if results go their way. They will be hoping Jack Rudd and Liam Banthorpe continue their strong form, after combining for 155 runs last week.

Carlton will be looking to bounce back when the Blues travel to Mervyn G Hughes Oval to take on Footscray on Saturday afternoon. Despite sitting nicely in second spot, Carlton still found itself on the end of an upset loss to Geelong last week, despite Xavier Crone‘s 51-run effort. They will be eager to get themselves back on the winners’ list, but Footscray will smell opportunity.

Casey-South Melbourne will be eager to continue their charge up the standings when it takes on Frankston Peninsula at AH Butler Oval on Saturday. The visiting side has managed to slide into the top four over recent weeks, and will be looking to maintain this position. This makes the last two weeks of their season critical, and they will need to be at the top of their game against Frankston Peninsula.

Melbourne University is another side fighting to keep their season alive, and this week’s matchup against Northcote at University Main Oval will play a crucial role in this campaign. Both sides were on the end of surprising losses in Round 14, and will be eager to bounce back with the two sides running the risk of falling out of contention.

Two of the competition’s struggling sides will face off when the Greenvale Kangaroos play host to Kingston Hawthorn at Greenvale Reserve on Saturday afternoon. The two sides have combined for just five wins in the season, but this matchup presents the opportunity to get back in the winners’ column, but it will depend on which team can lift its output with bat in hand.

Richmond will be looking to lock in its spot in the top eight when the Tigers take on the Camberwell Magpies at Central Reserve North on Saturday afternoon. The home side is currently sitting in sixth spot as the ladder stands, but enter this match fresh off an upset from Essendon in Round 14, so the Magpies will fancy themselves a sneaky chance in this clash.

The penultimate clash of the round will see Essendon look to continue their winning streak and secure a spot in the finals when they take on Ringwood at Russell Lucas Oval on Saturday. The visitors delivered a strong performance against Richmond, and that win saw them slide into eighth spot. They come up against a struggling Ringwood side, and if their openers can deliver again, then good luck stopping them.

The final matchup of Round 15 will see Dandenong take on the tough task of upsetting St Kilda when the two sides go head-to-head at CitiPower Centre on Saturday afternoon. The home side have been far and away the best team of the competition in the 2021/22 season, and will be looking to finish their campaign on a high over the next few weeks, while Dandenong will be eager to conclude their season with an upset win here.