At the halfway point of the 2021/22 cricket season, very little cricket has been played.
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Rain has run roughshod throughout the scheduled fixtures up to this point in the year, with half of the scheduled rounds called off altogether due to poor weather.
With the local competitions set to resume next weekend, the First and Second Grade ladders have not yet been definitively shaped with so little play.
However, there are several fixtures scheduled for round nine which may yet help clarify exactly where the teams sit in relation to each other as the finals approach.
This Saturday's marquee First Grade fixture will take place at Seiffert Oval.
Scheduled to begin at 3.20, the match will be a day-nighter between first-ranked Marulan and third-ranked Coolavin. Leading into the season, expectations were high for both of these teams which both feature powerhouse players in their lineups.
With four matches in the rear-view (one of which was a victory by forfeit against Crookwell), Marulan sits on top of the ladder with three wins and a draw.
Both of Marulan's wins this season (which weren't by forfeit) have come against MBK United, while Coolavin has recorded one win and one loss, with a lone victory over Crookwell in round six.
With so many unknowns coming into the season, both of these sides were picked to be contenders for the top spot. That is still very much the case, but this weekend's result will go a long way towards establishing a First Grade pecking order.
The other match this round will feature MBK United and the Astor Rats at Prell Oval from 1pm.
Both of these teams have also proven to have plenty of talent and could easily make deep runs into finals. The Rats will go in as favourites, because although they have only played twice, both matches resulted in wins over top competition (Coolavin and Marulan).
Although MBK has struggled this season, the team has plenty of proven performers to go with a lot of youth in its ranks, led by veteran Dean Roxburgh.
Their first win of the year came in the final pre-Christmas round, on December 18, in a rain-affected game against Crookwell.
The Second Grade competition will also resume on January 8, with three matches at Carr Confoy beginning from 1pm.
The first will see the undefeated Tatts Stags take on the Gordon Goats in a second-versus-third clash.
The second game will feature the fourth-ranked Hibo Gold side try to continue its ascent up the ladder against the top-placed Knight Riders.
The final match will be played between Hibo Green and St Joseph's, as the young school side will look to capitalise on the momentum gained from their first win of the season just prior to Christmas.
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