HE has no doubt endured his fair share of washed-out games in his homeland, but Belmont's English import Marcus O'Riordan is entitled to be praying for clear skies on Sunday as the Whips chase their first-ever Summer Bash T20 title.
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O'Riordan, an off-spinning all-rounder who has played one first-class game for Kent, is booked to fly home on Monday.
"He stayed for the semi and the final, so if we get washed out again, he could have gone home two weeks ago," Belmont skipper Marcus Hainsworth said.
"But there's not much you can do about the weather, is there?"
Second-placed Belmont take on third-placed Wests Rosellas in Sunday's second semi-final at noon, after top qualifiers Hamilton-Wickham Pumas host Newcastle City Sabres at 9am. The two winners will meet in the decider at 3pm. All games are at Passmore Oval, and if rain prevents play, Sunday, February 23 has been set aside as a reserve day.
O'Riordan has experienced a mixed summer Down Under but should have fond memories of Passmore, where in Belmont's last two-day game he topscored in both innings with 38 and 123 to stave off outright defeat against Hamwicks.
Having reached three straight Summer Bash semi-finals, Hainsworth was confident the Whips are ready to go at least one step further, although he had no hesitation in identifying the Rosellas' danger man.
"It just seems the last couple of times we've played them, Joey Price has played an absolute belter," Hainsworth said. "I think if Joey is ever in a form slump, he'd be happy to play us."
Belmont will be hoping big paceman Daniel Bailey can provide inspiration, as he did in taking 5-17 from four overs to help Lake Mac Attack beat ACT Aces in the recent Regional Bash final at the SCG.
"I would say Bails is one of the most-improved bowlers this year," Hainsworth said.
"He's always given us something with the new ball early, because he swings it.
"But now his second and third spells now are just as good as his first.
"In the past, he's always had to bowl into the wind because we had guys like Mark Littlewood and Jace Lawson play for us for so long.
"But now he's the leader and he's bowled tremendously for us."
The other ace up Belmont's sleeve is coach Shane Burley.
"A lot of it comes down to Burls," Hainsworth said. "He's a very well organised tactical exponent of T20 cricket, as he's shown with the Lake Mac attack and Newcastle rep sides ... when we stick to his game plans, we can match it with the top teams."
