Yackandandah hosts Barnawartha Chiltern in Cricket Albury-Wodonga decider

The pair has split the two games with Yackandandah winning the season's most thrilling game on February 4.

The Miners posted 7-142 with the red-hot Tom Webster scoring a patient 66 not out from 114 deliveries, with only one boundary.

Yackandandah looked shot at 9-108, but an unbeaten 35-run stand between Tom Cencic (25 not out) and Casey George (9no) sealed a scintillating win.

The decider pits the finals specialists in Yackandandah, which is gunning a third straight title in a sixth successive grand final, against the newcomers.

The Miners actually folded for a season in 2017-18, with the resurgence set to be completed with an upset win.

"It would mean a lot, I've played my whole life here (apart from a year at Wodonga Raiders when the club folded) in footy and cricket and the club hasn't won a cricket grand final (in the district competition)," Ashton Brookes offered.

"We're a very young team, so we're up and about in the field and with the ball, plus we bat well, but we haven't made too many scores this year, but I think we'll go out and make some runs."

Brookes played in his home club Chiltern's drought-breaking win in the Tallangatta and District Football League last September, along with Miners' captain Rhys Ritchie.

Meanwhile his younger brother and team-mate Chad, who played in Chiltern's under 14 football premiership last year, coincidentally against Yackandandah, admits the favourites are well-balanced.

"They're pretty even in every aspect of the game, if we get a couple of early wickets, we should go alright," he said.

The siblings are close, but team-mate and co-president Chris Hartshorn says they're miles apart in some other areas.

"Ashton is a funny one, he's the best leg-spinner in the competition by far and he could really go to provincial and dominate up there," he praised.

"But he doesn't care for cricket, he just wants to have a beer with his mates, but that's Ashton with his carefree attitude.

"Chad's the opposite, he's cricket mad and would rather play cricket than footy, he loves it and he's so technically correct.

"He could be anything if he keeps putting in the work."

Yackandandah pipped Baranudua in last year's riveting grand final and posted another one over the Rangers in last weekend's preliminary final, while the Miners walloped Dederang after skittling the home team for only 80.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The game starts at 1pm.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: