Kyabram will host Nagambie in an 80 overs contest this weekend at the Kyabram Recreation Reserve with play starting at 12.30pm on both days.
A comprehensive first innings win against Tatura in the final home-and-away round last Saturday clinched the minor premiership for Kyabram and also eliminated Tatura from the flag race.
By finishing on top of the ladder, Kyabram gets another chance even if beaten in the first week of the finals.
Redbacks coach Jackson McLay warned his team would need to perform at its best in the finals to win its second flag since joining the competition in the 2012-13 season.
‘’Any of the six teams in the finals are good enough to win it and Nagambie is one of them,’’ McLay said.
‘‘They have depth in both their batting and bowling and some top all-rounders in the Winter-Irvings and Mark Nolan, who are potential match-winners.’’
But McLay believes his team also has the batting and bowling power to win the games that count.
Kyabram’s record of only one defeat so far this season reflects McLay’s opinion.
He said the addition of pace bowler Sam Langley early in the season had been a huge boost for his team.
Langley has gone on to be the league’s top wicket-taker this season and McLay said he had a bit more pace than any bowler in the competition, which was a vital X-factor.
‘‘He has certainly given us an extra dynamic to our bowling depth and he has the ability to produce match-winning bursts,’ he said.’
McLay said spinner Louis Sabbah-Holt was another key bowler in the Kyabram attack which is likely to include Tom Holman who has played some games towards the end of the season.
‘’Tom is a wicket-taker who gives our attack further depth and another option.’’
McLay was also pleased Kyabram had won its last home-and-away game without any significant input from the Mueller brothers, Kyle and Cade, who are both potential match-winners with the bat.
‘‘It looks a situation that if you are going to win, you will have to earn it,’’ McLay said.
Tatura was never in a positon to threaten Kyabram’ first-day score of 250 when it resumed its innings at 2-12 last Saturday when the home-and-away season concluded.
With spinner Louis Sabbah-Holt picking up 4-34 off 17 overs and pacemen Sam Langley, Jackson McLay and Charlie McLay all taking two wickets, Tatura was bowled out in 63.3 overs for 120.
Kiran Green and skipper Jayden Armstrong equal top-scored with 24 for Tatura.
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