![Cobden's Angus Uwland, pictured during the 2022-23 grand final, is a key player in the Knights' premiership tilt. Picture by Eddie Guerrero Cobden's Angus Uwland, pictured during the 2022-23 grand final, is a key player in the Knights' premiership tilt. Picture by Eddie Guerrero](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128797359/4865cc58-0114-4979-93eb-6bfbf59aeaaa.jpg/r0_466_4425_3038_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Cobden's quest to break a 23-year South West cricket division one flag drought is going to plan, with a final-round win securing the minor premiership for the Knights.
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The side locked in top spot with an 106-run triumph against Ecklin on Saturday and is just two wins away from its first premiership since 2000-2001.
"It's great," Knights skipper Simon Murfett said of clinching the minor premiership.
"We were talking about it and we can't remember the last time we actually were minor premiers. It's a long time since its happened.
"I didn't expect to be but it's just an added bonus I think."
The Knights came agonisingly close to a flag last season before falling to Bookaar at the final hurdle.
They have also lost the past three division one Twenty20 deciders, so are determined to finally lift some silverware.
"We haven't had much luck so we'd like to win one," Murfett said.
The Knights' have benefited from some familiar faces returning this year.
Johnno Benallack, following a one-year stint in the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association, finished the home-and-away season as the competition's third-highest run-scorer, with 452.
Kaplan McCann, who was away last season travelling, has also made valuable contributions with the bat and has notched a 50 in each of his past two innings.
Murfett said his side would need to "take our chances" in the field going forward.
"We had another couple of chances that slipped us by on the weekend," he said.
"And even against Pombo we did the same thing as well. So if we can take our chances I reckon it'll hold us in good stead."
This year the competition is holding a top-six finals series for division one, instead of a top-four.
On Saturday March 9, Heytesbury Princetown Storm (third) play Woorndoo (sixth) in one elimination final, while Bookaar (fourth) faces Camperdown (fifth) in the other.
The winners will face Cobden or Pomborneit (second) in the semi-finals the following day for a place in the grand final on March 16.