Rivals Mt Barker and Royals square off in ADCA A-grade grand final as both chase second flag in three years

For the third-straight season, Mt Barker and Royals will face off in a tantalising Albany and Districts Cricket Association grand final fixture on Saturday. The Lions will be out to mend the wounds of their grand final heartache in the 2021-22 decider, the Bulls ending an 18-year premiership drought with a memorable 47-run win last season. A talented Bulls outfit will be chasing more history in their attempt to claim back-to-back titles after finishing the regular season on top of the A-grade ladder. The Lions are coming off a scintillating performance in the preliminary final, crushing Collingwood Park by eight wickets to book their place in the most important fixture of the 2023-23 season. A dominant four-game winning streak to close out their season gave the Bulls a shot at reaching the grand final, setting up a virtual final in the round 15 contest against the Lions The Bulls were emphatic 85-run winners over the Lions in that encounter, boosted by crucial batting performances of veteran pair Alex Fergie (78 runs) and Neil Ferriera (53). In their other head-to-head encounters this season, the Lions went down by 72 runs in a rescheduled round five fixture while the Bulls were defeated by 120 runs in round 10. An unbeaten knock of 89 from Lions captain Mitch Green helped his side score a 28-run victory in round five of the ADCA A-grade T20 competition, which the Lions went on to win last month. Green said his team would stick to their guns as they looked to claim title glory for the second time in three years. “The message will be pretty consistent with what it’s been all year,” he said. “Keeping things pretty simple and just backing all the guys ability, obviously Mt Barker are a really good side. “They’ve got five or so players that can win a game off their own bat or with the ball. “Last week we sort of changed our mindset, it’s really going to be about taking early wickets to get the opposition on the back foot and if we do that, we feel like we’re a big chance. “The loss to them at the end of the season might have been a blessing in disguise, we had a chance to get back up in the semifinal. “We go into the grand final with a bit of momentum which we’ll ride and we go in full of confidence. “There’s a good healthy rivalry between the two sides, we faced off in the last two grand finals, we won one and they got us last year so the ledger is square. “It’s going to be a pretty exciting game I reckon.” The Lions are expected to take the same 12 players in from their dominant preliminary final display. Bulls captain Jeremy Wood said he expected another tightly contested clash with their arch rivals. “You take confidence out of our last meeting but Royals have been a pretty good side all year, so you never take anything for granted,” Wood said. “The approach is going to be pretty similar to what it’s been the last five or so weeks. “Just bringing a good brand of cricket that holds up in high-pressure situations.” Wood said he believed a win on Saturday would carry extra significance for his side and their supporters. “Winning two in a row would be massive for the town of Mt Barker and sport in general. “They’ve won one or two premierships here or there but I don’t think they’ve ever won two in a row in footy or cricket. “We’ll play good tough cricket, I think their (Lions) top order holds the key for them and they’ve got a good bowling order. “We’re looking forward to the contest, it should be good.” The Bulls are also likely to remain unchanged from their side that played in round 15. The A-grade grand final will be played at Turf North, starting at noon on Saturday.