The Top Pub Cavaliers and the Soldiers Club Colts will contest this year’s Gloucester District Cricket Association Grand Final on Saturday.

The matchup between two teams filled with young stars presents a changing of the guard in Gloucester cricket following the dominance of the experience Rawdon Vale side who have dominated the competition in recent times.

The Cavs and the Colts are quite evenly matched and have similar styles of play. Neither team have a designated strike bowler like Scott Edwards for Stroud or Mick Fraser for Rawdon Vale. Instead they each have very strong all round bowling line-ups, with most players in each team capable of bowling. Going by this season’s form the Cavs may just edge in front given that they have the two leading wicket takers, although the wet weather makes it hard to pick which bowling group is better.

Meanwhile each team possess deep batting line-ups that are full of dangerous batsmen. The Colts have a slightly deeper batting line-up but will need to stop the collapses that have become far too frequent for them. Each team have very attacking batsmen mixed in with guys who will knock it around at the other end, such as Coen Durbidge and Sam Pickworth.

One major factor that could determine the outcome of the game is the wicket of Ryan Yates. Yates has been far and away the dominant player in Gloucester cricket in recent years and comes into this game with 394 runs this season at an average of 65.67.

Peter Reynolds has proven to be quite a nemesis for the Colts in the past and his wicket will also be crucial for the Colts bowlers.

The Cavs will look to get stuck into the Colts shaky middle order early by removing the experienced Suresh Liyanage. Most of the Colts batsmen are capable of scoring runs, so the Cavs will look to pick up wickets regularly to prevent the upset.

It will be a historic day for the Soldiers Club Colts as they prepare for their first Grand Final since the merger. Bowling Club, later changed to Colts, were the last team to win the Grand Final not named Rawdon Vale. So it would be special for their club, and in particular Mathew Trudgeon, if they win the title this year. Trudgeon has been a stalwart of the club for many years and is always ready to play or help out when needed.

On the other hand, the Cavaliers will be hoping that their presence in the Grand Finals over the past few seasons will give them the upper hand on the big occasion. They would be quite deserving winners following their successes in recent times only to continue to fall one step short. The Cavaliers also have a chance at creating history as they could join the great teams of Gloucester cricket by completing an undefeated season.

Anyone and everyone head on down to Number 1 Oval at 12.45pm on Saturday to watch what should be a thrilling match between the Cavaliers and Soldiers Club Colts.