Ballarat Cricket Association grand finalists Darley and Golden Point are well aware of the importance of early wickets.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The two boast some of the competition's premier batters, with Darley opener Dilan Chandima recently winning the E.J Cleary Medal.
The Sri Lankan has posted 879 runs at 67.62 and enters the decider high on confidence after a match-winning century in last weekend's semi-final.
Golden Point coach Daniel McDonald said his side would target Chandima early.
"I think the game plan for every team at the moment is that the best batters go in early and give themselves every opportunity to face most of the 50 overs," he said.
"Taking early wickets is essential, and it will be again this weekend to get Dilan.
"He just won the E.J Cleary medal, so he's clearly a quality player, and we've got to be on for him. But, in staying that they've great players throughout their batting line-up."
Chandima has scored nearly 30 per cent of Darley's run this season to sit as the club's top scorer.
The departed Danza Hyatt is second, some 300 runs behind Chandima, while number four Hasitha Wickramasinghe rounds out the minor placings with 497 runs.
Chandima and Wickramasinghe loom as the two big wickets for the Pointies, after the pair combined for a match-winning 130-run stand in the semi-final.
"The two Sri Lankan boys bat really well together. They've got a great connection," Darley coach Brian Wheelahan said.
"Dilan is a bit of a little master, so for him to stand up on the big stage and get an unbeaten century and then cap it off by winning the E.J Cleary Medal, it was a great weekend."
Golden Points has two in-form batters of its own.
Veteran Josh White has hit three half-centuries in his past five innings, while young opener Josh Pegg has been the Pointies' leading runscorer this season, knocking 670 runs at 37.22.
Pegg, still 19, has also proved a revelation with the ball.
Before the 2021-22 season, the off-spinner had bowled 11 overs across three seasons in first grade for no wickets.
This summer, Pegg has taken 22 wickets at an average of 19.7.
"To see the way Josh Pegg has developed over the course of this season has been absolutely brilliant," McDonald said.
"I started coaching Josh in representative cricket when he was playing under-14's when he was 12. So, to watch him grow up after the past seven years has been amazing.
"Then Whitey does what Whitey does. He's just class. He's a quality person and brings so much to the group.
"He's so widely admired and respected and I'm bloody proud of what he's done again this season."
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.