Two huge games will kick off the Peel Cricket Association finals this Saturday, with the top four sides set to be trimmed down to three.
Singleton and Waroona will play each other for a spot in the grand final, while Mandurah and Shoalwater Bay battle it out to keep their seasons alive.
Below is a closer look at each match-up.
Singleton v Waroona
Finished
Singleton: First
Waroona: Second
The match-up
By far the best two sides of the regular season, both of these teams come into the game on the back of hot form in the second half of the year.
Singleton won five of its last seven games to finish on top of the table, while Waroona stormed home winning seven of their final eight to romp into second place and earn a lifeline should they lose.
Both claimed wins last week, but neither looked overly impressive.
Singleton’s batsmen scored just 95 runs, but amazingly it was enough to almost double Baldivis’ score after their bowling attack dismantled the White Knights for just 50 runs.
Ian Bowes had stunning figures of 3/8 from a nine over spell, which included six maidens.
It’s fair to argue the Singleton batsmen may have been in second gear knowing they needed just 51 to win the match, but a similar performance against Waroona could see them punished for it.
Waroona posted a similar win, restricting Pinjarra to 8/133 from their 50 overs and then topping the score in under 37 overs to finish with 159.
So both sides come into the finals with good momentum, but who has the edge?
It’s a tough question, and one that will have to wait until the game is played out for an answer.
But the most interesting battle of the game could be Singleton’s bowling attack taking on the Waroona top order.
Waroona has a number of players capable of winning games off their own bat, while Singleton’s bowlers were in brilliant touch last weekend.
The winner of the game moves on to the grand final, the loser enters an elimination bout. Plenty to play for.
Fixture
Stan Twight East Turf, Saturday, 12.15pm
Mandurah v Shoalwater Bay
Finished
Mandurah: Third
Shoalwater Bay: Fourth
The match-up
Mandurah’s win over Warnbro and Shoalwater’s loss to Halls Head saw these sides flip ladder position just before the finals last weekend, gifting Mandurah the home turf advantage.
They also come into the post-season in completely different form.
Mandurah is on a three-game win streak, while Shoalwater, after impressing mightily in the first half of the season, enters the finals on a four-game losing skid.
But if Shoalwater can put their end of the regular season out of their minds and recapture their early form, then we have a ball game.
Across Mandurah’s past three matches, Anuj Dal is averaging 88.66 runs.
His powerful streak with the bat, along with many other contributing factors, has led Mandurah into the finals and they now loom as a danger to the top sides.
Shoalwater as a team has averaged just 114.66 runs over their last three matches.
So looking at immediate form, things look grim for Shoalwater Bay.
But they are a top four side for a reason and recapturing the form that saw them boast an 8-1 record after their first nine games (excluding ties), will be their number one priority.
They were dominant in that stretch and if they want to move past the first week of finals they will need a strong showing.
Fixture
Meadow Springs Turf, Saturday, 12.15pm