The stage is set: Players who will shape WDCA finals

The Standard takes a look at the players from each team who could prove the difference on the big stage:

Minor premiers Allansford-Panmure have set the benchmark all season and it's come down to an even list and star power within its ranks, particularly in the spin bowling department. Spinner Simon Richardson has often been on another level this season and will thrive on the finals stage. Expect him to bowl a lot of overs from one end and make life difficult for batters. Champion batsman Chris Bant is due for a big score and the pressure of finals won't daunt him at all such is his class and composure while Kade Parker is a dangerous top-order batter who is capable of anything.

Port Fairy is a team filled with star players and competition leading run-scorer Alastair Templeton will be the opposition's biggest focus in the finals and for good reason. The gun accumulator has enjoyed a golden debut season for the club racking up an incredible 747 runs and is made for the pressure moments. Star pace bowler James Vandepeer will lead the attack as he has all season and will likely need to bowl 20-plus overs. He bowls that classic first-class length which is what is needed in crunch finals. Pressure wins finals and he builds it. Alex Jennings has premier experience and plenty of senior cricket under his belt so is vital.

He enters finals as arguably the form player in the league and will come close to making it back-to-back division one best and fairest medals but if Nestles skipper Jacob Hetherington fires with bat and ball the Factory will fancy their chances of back-to-back flags. Quick Matt Ringin is in vintage touch having snared 12 wickets in his past three matches as well and is bowling some electric new ball spells. He is the type of player that could quickly take the game away from the opposition. Playing coach Rob Saker's vast experience and cool head has also been evident in the back-half of the year with a string of strong performances.

He's often his harshest critic but Russells Creek captain-coach Cam Williams has hit form at exactly the right time with the bat. It spells danger for opposition bowlers if the WDCA country week skipper can fire up and deliver a big knock on the weekend. He is known to produce when his side needs it. You can't go past Craig Britten either from doing something special having come off a 44-wicket home-and-away season and a 13-wicket haul in the final round. He's a genuine star. Reliable Rukshan Weerasinghe is going to be a vital wicket through the middle.

A final-round loss isn't ideal but Merrivale has plenty of players in strong form. Gun paceman Matt Petherick is in some of the best form of his career and has found another level post-Christmas. He is bowling brilliantly, bowling long spells and taking plenty of wickets. If he can fire the Tigers will be confident of going deep. Batters Theo Opperman and Josh Stapleton play such an important role in the side at number three and four and if one of them can get going it'll help the cause. Both have proven capable of batting long periods and cashing in.

Batsman Ben Threlfall has been dominant this season for West Warrnambool, finishing second in the runs tally and with the highest batting average amongst the top 20 batters. It's been the skipper's consistency that has set him apart. Could a captain's knock be in the works? You wouldn't put it past him. The experienced Justin Snow is a player who will thrive in finals and provides a cool head under pressure while despite still being in the infancy of his senior career, youngster Joe Douglas just keeps delivering and finished the home-and-away season with 30 wickets.