Strong showing of Nowra sides 'breath of fresh air' for 'stale' competition

While perennial heavyweights Lake Illawarra and The Rail are firmly entrenched in the top four, it's Berry-Shoalhaven Heads who leads the competition heading into this Saturday's round 15 fixtures.

Ex Servos and North Nowra Cambewarra sit in fourth and fifth-place respectively with just six games left to play this season.

Taylor, whose Shellharbour side sit in sixth-place heading into this Saturday's showdown against North Nowra Cambewarra, said the emergence of some of the new Nowra-based teams was a good thing for the competition.

"I think that for a long time the competition was getting a little bit stale. The introduction of the Nowra sides or some of the Nowra sides I think has been a breath of fresh air," he said.

"They all play a fairly commanding style of cricket and they demand that you turn up on the day and it's not a waltz in the park.

"I think that they're making the comp stronger, they're making sides work a little bit harder for results and it makes it more competitive at the top which I think is something that's probably been lacking for the South Coast competition in the last 10 years.

"So whilst this year hasn't looked typically endearing on some of the existing South Coast sides, us included, I think it's a good indication that the standard of competition and the brand of cricket in our area and in our greater competition is evolving and getting better, which is only going to be a positive as far as I'm concerned."

Taylor added it was time now for his Shellharbour side to play well on a consistent basis, especially in the longer form of the game.

"We're getting to the pointy end of the season, every game leading into the semi-finals is important," he said.

"We've had a good run of results in the T20 competition but we've just been a little bit inconsistent in the longer form of games.

"We need to turn up for 100 overs. That's been the tale of our season - we have been efficient with one discipline but then a little inconsistent with the other side of our game.

"It's been a tale of two innings. We turn up and we do well with the ball but then struggle with the bat or vice versa, we do really well with the bat but then are a bit inconsistent with the ball.

"That's what we need to address against Nowra. We're looking forward to the game, it should be a good test.

"I think both sides are very similar in the way we play and obviously close to each other in terms of our position on the table.

"I think it'll be a competitive fixture. Hopefully we can come out on top."

In other games on Saturday, Bomaderry Tigers play The Rail at Bomaderry Oval, Lake Illawarra host Kookas at Howard Fowles Oval, Kiama Cavaliers battle Ex Servos at Kiama Sporting Complex and Albion Park Eagles play Bay and Basin Dolphins at Keith Grey Oval.