Elliot Stevenson
A South Hobart-Sandy Bay team refreshed from a two-week bye host the in-form Kingborough Knights at Queenborough Oval on Saturday, headlining an all-star weekend of CTPL action.
The Sharks have not played since the 19th of January, a loss to North Hobart, and sit just one point behind Greater Northern in the lucrative fourth position on the CTPL ladder.
Coach Richard Allanby says his side are excited to get back to playing but understand the test that the reigning premiers propose.
“Kingborough are the benchmark, we see them as a really solid, even team,” he said.
“They’ve led the pack for the last few years, so it will be a great challenge for us.
“We’ve had a good break and we’ve been training hard.
“Our players are up for the challenge.”
South Hobart-Sandy Bay was unable to win a game in January and has won just one of its four two-day games this season.
Allanby insists that the bye will have marginal impact in Saturday’s game, but concedes it gives his side a clear vision for the conclusion of the season.
“It’s been a long season,” he said.
“I don’t know if there is ever a good time for a bye, or a bad time for a bye.
“But it gives us three or four games to really focus on for the end of the season.”
This weekend will mark the first time South Hobart-Sandy Bay faces Kingborough this season, with a T20 match in December abandoned due to rain.
It’s one of three matches this round that involves two sides meeting for the first time in 2024-25, with plenty of unresolved questions set to be answered.
Allanby and his side maintain both teams will be familiar with each other, despite not meeting since last season.
“I think all players keep a good eye on what’s happening around the competition,” he said.
“We know their players pretty well, and they would know our players pretty well.
“We know who their danger men are with the bat and ball.
“We’re looking forward to putting our best foot forward.”
Glenorchy will be looking to win its first two-day game of the season as they host North Hobart at KGV Oval.
The Magpies have failed to win in all but two of their games since the beginning of the season, a record they will be desperate to overturn in Saturday’s game.
The toss may prove important for Glenorchy, as it has won both of its games when chasing down an opponent’s total.
North Hobart’s form has not been spectacular, with the Demons winning just one game since December, including last round’s defeat to University.
Richard Cowlard’s men remain in the hunt for a finals position however, sitting five points off fourth place.
Saturday’s matchup with Glenorchy looms as a must-win for the Demons, with both teams immediately above them, South Hobart-Sandy Bay and Greater Northern, possessing a game in-hand.
Clarence can keep their finals hopes alive with a win but will have to travel to Launceston and beat the Raiders to do so.
In the only game to be played over back-to-back days this round, both sides can go into a week off with a potentially season-defining victory as the race for the finals heats up.
The Roos will be buoyed by last round’s win over local rivals Lindisfarne, a game in which veteran fast-bowler Sam Rainbird took 6/55 to dismantle the Lightning’s top order.
Greater Northern lost convincingly to a red-hot Kingborough side, but a return home may prove beneficial for Alistair Taylor’s team.
University can take another step towards an unprecedented three-peat, which would see it win all three available premierships across the CTPL competitions in season 2024-25.
The Lions’ next opponent is a desperate and hungry Lindisfarne, which will be fighting for its’ survival, and has no lack of star power, with Mac Wright, Charlie Wakim, and Jarrod Freeman set to suit up.
Uni have only lost two games all season, and yet, with Kingborough eager to claim top spot, will be eager to win their remaining games.
A two-point buffer is all that separates the two best teams in the competition right now, making for a riveting finish to the home-and-away season.
In the women’s CTPL, there is a competition-wide bye that takes place this weekend.
Games are set to resume next Sunday, where New Town hosts North Hobart, and Clarence do battle with Greater Northern.