It is crisis time for North when they take on premiership favourites Central.

The race for a finals berth will be in deadly earnest on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Oval.

North is a proud club with a lot at stake and are in dire straits needing skipper Matt Quist, David Marshall and Russell Tucker to return.

These three will need to match it with Central's Brad Smith, Scott Collison and Jeremy Edson.

Smith, Collison and Edson are all riding on a crest of a wave after last weeks good game, making lots of runs and taking many wickets between them.

Central's astute skipper Travis Hole has the firepower in both bowling and batting, topped off with good fielders to prevent North making a claim for second spot on the premiership table against Roopena.

North have many good young rising stars that need nurturing in Josh Ackland, Matt Kirchner, Ben Doran and Jake Gericke.

They have all shown marked improvement each week and will pit their abilities against Central young guns John Stuppos, Ryan Jacobs, Juan Estepa, Daniel Collison and Shaun McCann.

These Central players are getting better each week and will be primed for action to put a spanner in North's chances for a victory.