With just eight premiership points separating third-placed Echuca South and seventh-positioned Nondies Cohuna, pressure is building for spots in Goulburn Murray Cricket’s final four.
Play in the McMahon Shield resumes on Saturday with a one-day round of matches following the Christmas/New Year break.
The Swans play host to league leaders Moama at Echuca South Recreation Reserve in the match of the round.
Echuca South’s charge to third (6-3) has come on the back of some superb performances from Sri Lankan sensation Asantha Singappuli.
Singappuli is one of the prime candidates for the Turner Medal.
The Swans’ number three sits third in the run-scoring after hitting 504 before Christmas, one of three batters to accomplish the feat, at an average of 72.
His all-round ability has also been demonstrated with the ball, claiming 19 wickets at 17, ranking him second in the competition.
Jayden Rosin has been another shining light for Echuca South, with four scores over 40 and a high score of 78 in his 352-run campaign.
But this Moama outfit is firing on all cylinders, having gone from nine wins from as many matches leading into the mid-season break.
Anthony McMahon (507 runs at 72 and 11 wickets at 17) and Michael Hill (251 runs at 35 and 20 wickets at 10) are enjoying impressive seasons.
Jordan McGregor continues to impress with the ball, while a top order featuring skipper Joel Murphy and Fraser Buchanan always poses a threat.
Another team in the finals race is Kyabram Fire Brigade, currently holding fourth spot with five home-and-away games to be decided.
After an unexpected loss to Rochester last round, the Flames face reigning premier and second-placed Echuca when the season resumes on Saturday, and then another finals aspirant, BLU, in the following game.
This assignment at Northern Oval is massive for the Flames, who have the batting depth, led by run-making machine Paul Newman, Brett Andison, talented young players in Bohden Learmonth and Miller Griffiths, Kaine Herbert and co-captain Jake Gascoyne to post a score to challenge the classy Echuca batting line-up.
But the Fire Brigade attack has its limits and will need to be on the ball if it is to restrict Echuca to a losing score.
Echuca boasts depth and strength in its first XI.
Curtis Townrow, Matt Hinks and Kobyn James are match-winners with the willow, and the same can be said with the ball in Hinks’s case.
Rylea Jones, Brendan Moyle and the evergreen Simon Maddox rarely give much away with the ball.
Scottish import Ewan Davidson is one man hoping for a big 2024, having been promoted to the top of the order.
Two clubs hoping the new year can bring success are Tongala and Leitchville-Gunbower.
Both are winless to this point of the season, and face testing tasks with the Blues hosting BLU and L-G making the trip to Rochester.
In the other game, Cooma takes on Nondies-Cohuna, who still hold finals hopes and must get a team effort to produce a winning score.
There is plenty of potential in the Cooma line-up and if Mason Scopelliti, the Fawcett brothers, English imports Hugo Bell and Matt Darvill and skipper Jake Kelly can contribute with the bat, it could be a much tighter clash than expected.