After dominating the A reserve T20 competition for the last month, the time has come for the Tigers to step up and secure some silverware.

Ovens Valley United will take on Benalla Bushrangers in the A reserve T20 grand final on Saturday at Norm Minns Oval, the first match of a double-header with the A grade decider.

The Tigers enter the match as the favourites, having breezed through the season undefeated, and fresh off belting Benalla in the last round before the knockouts.

OVUCC president and A reserve opening batter Thomas Chettleburgh said it was the balance within the team which had seen them with one match between them and glory.

“I think we’ve had a relatively good campaign, going through and winning all of the games,” he said.

“I honestly think we just play within our means, we don’t go out there thinking because it’s a T20 we have to hit every ball to the boundary, we just play within ourselves.

“Our goal is always to try and make 120, I think 120 wins you the majority of WDCA A reserve T20 games, so that’s been the formula.

“Having a good combination of experience and youth has been really good as well.”

The contributions have been well-spread among the Tigers, with each player stepping up on their day.

Skipper Nathan Cullen leads the way with the bat, sitting fourth overall on the league charts with 82 runs and two not outs, capable of steering his team to victory more often than not

Cooper Thomason (five wickets @ 4.20) and Ben McMasters (five @ 9.80) have been the more reliable bowlers, but of the 12 players who have rolled the arm over, 10 have taken a wicket, showing depth and consistency.

“Everyone’s shared the load – I know that’s quite vanilla but everyone’s had their moments across the campaign,” Chettleburgh said.

“Whether it was Cooper Thomason taking three wickets in an over against Yarrawonga to break them apart, Travvy Applegarth smacking 40 at over a run a ball, or last week it was Owen [Adams] and Benny Mac [Ben McMasters] taking two wickets each in the powerplay and going for less than three an over, everyone’s contributed equally across it.

“I think Nathan Cullen has captained really well and plays a pivotal role to bat through the middle with everyone.”

The Tigers take on a fearsome Benalla Bushrangers outfit, whose only loss for the entire T20 campaign came at the hands of Ovens Valley United just last week.

“I don’t know if they’ll have many other players come into that side because I think a lot of them have over-qualified, so I don’t know if they’re going to bring anyone else in who’s going to be a huge threat,” Chettleburgh said.

“I think we’re going to play a very similar team.

“I think their strength is they’ve got a few wiser, older fellas who bowl really well, really tight, and they seem to rely on them at the end of the innings to try and drag them across the line, so that’s a strength we’ve identified.

“We just want to try and bowl tight at the start and try and make sure there’s too much to do in the back half.”

Ovens Valley United take on Benalla Bushrangers at Norm Minns Oval from 3.30pm on Saturday.