A switch in surface could be an intriguing leveller as Launceston and Longford face off in the Statewide T20 Northern final on Sunday.
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Breaking through for their first Cricket North T20 flag last year, the Lions gave Longford a 92-run NTCA ground thumping in last season's Northern final before sealing the state title with a repeat performance against Wellington.
This time around the Tigers will boast a home ground advantage and have a better idea of what to expect from their turf counterparts.
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"We're feeling alright - we're a lot more confident this year than we were last year when we played them," captain Jackson Blair said.
"Being on our home ground is a bit more of an advantage for us and we're really excited for the opportunity to come up against a class side like that and showcase our cricket.
"I think we've got to play a pretty well-rounded game - it's not going to rely on just batting or bowling, we've all got to be doing our part to get over the line against them blokes."
Launceston captain-coach Alistair Taylor will take a "close-to-full-strength" side into the 11am fixture and says his troops aren't losing sleep over the change in surface.
"It'll make the game different for us - our gameplan will change a little bit," he said.
"It'll be faster outfield with the ball not bouncing as high - they play on it every week and no doubt it's probably going to suit those guys a bit better than us, but in saying that, we train on astroturf every week in the indoor nets anyway so it's not like it's a foreign surface for us."
Facing an uphill battle to make the Cricket North finals, the Lions can make a success of their year regardless should they defend their T20 title.
"It'd be an awesome effort for the boys to try and win this game and compete again for another statewide title," Taylor said.
"It's been a longish year so to still be in with a shot of a Statewide T20 title, the boys will certainly look forward to it but we're under no illusions, it won't come easy."
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