Indian 19-year-old Ishang Shah joined the Knights at the start of this season after crossing the Indian Ocean to study business and accounting at the University of Tasmania.

After seven scores of 35-plus throughout the season, Shah came within seven runs of registering a maiden Cricket North century in round 16's loss to Launceston.

The wicket of Zac Oldenhof and two catches were enough to secure the all-rounder player of the round honours, but Shah remains ever hungry for a three-figure score.

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"Initially when I went in we were 4-90 or something and we needed a good partnership in between," he said.

"The wicket was doing a little bit and there were wickets falling at constant intervals, but the guys playing with me we were making some good partnerships of 50-odd runs.

"The wicket was doing a bit but as I'd played in India before I was used to those kind of wickets so it was a steady flow of runs for me.

"I tried to hit some boundaries at the end and missed my century, I was the last wicket to fall - I hope to get my century next time."

Shah said he was beginning to get the hang of Tasmanian pitches.

"In India we're used to playing on some flat wickets and a lot more turning wickets as well, but when I started playing for South Launny the wickets are a bit different," he said.

"They are a bit skiddy and bouncy as well so that's some kind of challenge for me, but I've been doing really well in my first year I think."

Shah plans to remain at South for the remainder of his study, which will likely be between one and two more years.

The leg-spinner is confident his side has what it takes to get over Launceston in this weekend's preliminary final and advance to a fourth-straight grand final against Westbury.

"We have done it before in the past - [last round] was just a bad day for us," Shah said.

"Our batters didn't get a good start so we failed to score some runs, but next time we meet them we'll make sure we beat them."

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