Final to be a fiery clash
North County captain Graeme Weinert is expecting the fireworks between his side and their opponents Railways to continue in Saturday's 2014-15 Albany Cricket Association A-grade grand final at Turf East.
The two dominant sides of recent times will meet in the decider for a fourth time in the past six seasons, as both aim for a third premiership in that same period.
Two of their encounters this season have been washed out, but the other two completed games between the powerhouse outfits have been overshadowed by suspensions and fiery verbal encounters.
The latest involved Tigers fast bowler Nathan Crudeli and Bulldogs all-rounder Craig Tonkin, with the latter suspended for three matches for making inappropriate and deliberate contact with another player.
Tonkin had his appeal of the ban heard at a protests and disputes board last night, the verdict to determine if he is eligible to play in Saturday's decider. Weinert expected the angst between the two sides to continue with a premiership on the line.
"I would have thought so," he said.
"There is no love lost there (between the two teams).
"We are hoping we will have Craig for Saturday; we know we can win without him but we want him there."
Having beaten the Tigers once this season, in a rain-affected clash in round 2, Weinert said his side must start well in the big match.
"They are always close games - we both always have competitive sides," he said.
"We just need a good start and you have got to put them under pressure.
"They have got a really long batting line-up, so we've got to be on the ball and get runs on the board."
The Tigers will head into the match unchanged and skipper Tim Edmunds would not be drawn into talking about the ill feeling between the two clubs.
"Our focus has and always will be on the task at hand, with or without Craig Tonkin we will still have to be at our best to win," Edmunds said.
"They have a few potential match winners that we will need to look after, but I would like to think we have a few of our own.
"Our club has never won back-to-back flags, so that is the carrot in front of us."
The A-grade grand final will start at noon while Mt Barker take on Manypeaks Gold in the B-grade and Collingwood Park meet Grammar Griffins in the C-grade decider.
