Dolphins backing bowlers

GOLD Coast will look to turn up the heat on a young Norths side as they try to keep their Queensland Premier Cricket season alive.

The Dolphins are ninth on the two-day ladder but will leapfrog sixth-placed Norths with a win at Ian Healy Oval.

Quick Mick Granger is back on deck for his first premier grade appearance since suffering a side strain in November, completing an attack Dolphins skipper Nick Stevens feels can do the damage.

Though Michael Neser (Sheffield Shield) and Xavier Bartlett (rested ahead of Queensland second XI fixture) are out, Granger joins pacemen Nick Buchanan and Josh Arnold plus spinners Matt Kuhnemann and Dan Doran.

“We’ve got a pretty strong side,” Stevens said.

“We’ve seen their team – it’s quite young so we’ll definitely back our bowlers if we can get a couple of wickets to get on a roll.”

Stevens said an outright result was not on his team’s mind heading into day one, with the side instead focused on starting well to pile pressure on their opponents. A firstinnings win is worth 12 points compared to 16 for an outright.

“We’ll probably need an outright in one of the next three games … but we’re not going to look at an outright, we’ll pretty much play it as it comes,” he said.

“If we bat well or bowl well, either one (we do first), and put ourselves in a good position then it’s coming down to that part of the season where you know you have to push for as many points as you can if you get the opportunity.”

Aside from Granger, the other notable personnel change is the omission of promising teenager Max Bryant after a lean run of form in which he only reached 20 once in his past seven knocks.

Stevens said it was a prime chance for Bryant to regain form and confidence at his home ground Bill Pippen Oval, in the second.

Liam Hope-Shackley is likely to move up to No.5 – the highest he has batted in a twoday match for the top Dolphins side.

“He looked pretty good against Ipswich (last round), I think he finished about 20 not out when the rain came,” Stevens said.

“We’re pretty happy with him. He’ll hopefully get a better opportunity.”

The 24-year-old’s average sits in the 30s in both first and second grade this season and he has a first grade ton – in a semi-final for former club Redlands – to his name.

Norths will be led by 20year-old wicketkeeperbatsman Tom Healy, the son of former Test great Ian.

Dolphins XI: Oscar Richardson, Josh Nelson, Nick Stevens (c), Max Houlahan, Liam HopeShackley, Damian Wallis (wk), Dan Doran, Matt Kuhnemann, Nick Buchanan, Josh Arnold, Mick Granger