The Rail made their one and only first grade finals appearance in 1985 and for most years since have struggled near the foot of the table.

But this season the club has taken great strides forward with just one loss in the final five rounds and has forced its way into fourth spot.

"It's huge for our club to make the semis," Bartlett said.

"We can't wait to play; the boys are jumping out of their skin.

"I know Oak Flats will be worried because they're expected to win and we've got nothing to lose. Kerry Penfold (Oak Flats skipper) is my best mate and we've been geeing each other up. I reckon he's worried we might knock them off.

"Semi-final cricket isn't like through the season. Everything is at stake and if we bat well and can post a total over 250 we'll be right in the game."

Bartlett believes allrounder Col Yeaman is The Rail's potential match-winner after taking 15 wickets in the wins over Shellharbour and Jamberoo and making 94 in the final-round loss to Gerringong.

Oak Flats have been the benchmark team all season and are unbeaten in the one-day and two-day comps but have yet to face The Rail this campaign.

The clubs didn't meet in the one-day comp, which Oak Flats won, while their round seven two-dayer was washed out without a ball bowled.

Penfold is expecting a "batting road" at Geoff Shaw Oval.

"Both teams have got half a dozen batsmen capable of scoring centuries," Penfold said.

"We've batted great all season and it's a matter now of doing it again in a semi. The last few years we've had a bit of a semis hoodoo. We win when we get to a final but can't win a semi, so we want to rectify that."

The other semi between premiers Warilla and Lake Illawarra at Howard Fowles Oval is a rematch of last season's final.

Lakers beat Warilla in a low-scoring first-innings game in the final round, with Brendan White outstanding for Lake with 6-68.

Warilla batted well in their second innings, making 1-183, and how their top order fare against Lake's new ball attack of White and Mark Ulcigrai could prove decisive. Play starts in first grade at 11am today and tomorrow.

In second grade, Oak Flats take on Shellharbour and Warilla face Lakers, while in third grade Oak Flats meet Shellharbour, and Kiama take on Lake Illawarra.