BOTH Cow Corner panelists say attacking intent is necessary for Woodford and Russells Creek if they are to taste grand final glory.
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The experts - West Warrnambool coach Alastair Templeton and Nestles coach Alex Strauch - analysed the game on The Standard's online cricket show this week.
Templeton said Creek had to be aggressive if it was to topple Woodford's bowling attack.
"I think you have to show intent, I don't think you can bunker down against them and say 'we'll see off the new ball'," he said.
"It just keeps coming. One of the positives of batting against Woodford, if you don't mind it, is pace on the ball. Yeah, you don't get as many bad balls but you're also getting more balls with a bit on it.
If you hit a good shot, you generally are getting more value. They don't really do the ring field, like you get in the middle overs.
- Alastair Templeton on Woodford
"If you hit a good shot, you generally are getting more value. They don't really do the ring field, like you get in the middle overs."
Strauch said Creek also weren't a team to play a typical ring field.
Templeton agreed, but highlighted his view of their differences.
"It's probably similar to Creek. They tend to set an extra fielder to the leg side and bowl pretty straight. They bring (wicketkeeper Cam Williams) up to the stumps to get things like leg-side stumpings and LBW shouts," he said.
"(Creek) is more an attack-the-stumps sort of team whereas Woodford is more a top-of-off-stump sort of team.
"(Woodford) bowls really hard lines and lengths. They've both got their different facets."
Strauch and Templeton said both sides had two spinners capable of wreaking havoc.
"They bowl a lot of overs, particularly through the middle overs and really dry it up," Templeton said.
Strauch said he expected spin to play a part after tea on both days of the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association decider.
"We might see it come on and try to maybe stem the flow for the later overs," he said.
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