"If we can score 200 most weeks, we have the bowlers to win it from there," he said.

So fast forward to round 12 this weekend and his batsmen have scored 200 ... once.

And yet, somehow or other, they're still in the chase for a semi-final spot, which has him scratching his head.

"It hasn't been good enough," he said. "But fortunately we've bowled well which has kept us in games.

"Cameron Bates has been really good, a bit unlucky at times, Nick Neild has been really consistent, and Ben Herring has made a good transition from seamers to off-spinners."

Abel said the middle order - including himself - in particular has struggled. "We've lost wickets in bunches. You can't be losing four for 10 and win games consistently. It makes it hard."

Aside from Abel himself, Lachlan Vassella and Sam Dalibozek have also struggled for consistency. Tyler Power, too, has been below his best with the bat.

"We've spoken about it among the batsmen, and I've actually got a good feeling about the rest of the season," Abel said. "We're trying to replicate a match situation at training. If one of us plays a bad shot in the nets, the others will call them out on it. Let them know that on match day they've just been dismissed. We're trying to eradicate the bad shots and carry that to Saturdays."

With the top three semi final positions seemingly tied up by City United, Thornton and Norths, the fourth spot is wide open - with Wests, Kurri and Easts all within two points, and even Tenambit and Raymond Terrace aren't totally out of it.

"We need to string a couple of wins together," Abel said. "If we can win this weekend and again in the next match, our last game is against Wests, and that would probably decide it."

Kurri are in a good position going into the second week of their clash with Norths. With rain forecast, Abel sent Norths in to bat and was rewarded when play was abandoned after 37 overs with Norths 3-83. The match has been reduced to 69 overs a side, giving Kurri a definite advantage in the run chase.

Kurri's next match is against the young Easts side, before meeting Wests in the final round.

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