Captain Brett Eldridge said the annual showdown against Mount Gambier and District Association would allow the WDCA to work on its middle order batting.

WDCA has named a 13-player squad for the one-day match at Jetty Flat tomorrow.

Eldridge said the association was eager to make it back-to-back Cross Border Cup wins. 

“The last couple of years it’s gone either way,” he said.

“Two years ago at Port Fairy they bowled us out for 100 and got us easy and conversely last year we knocked them out for 99.

“We are undefeated in representative games this year and the juniors have won their games as well.”

Eldridge said WDCA was comfortable with its bowling depth and that its challenge was to build strong middle order partnerships.

He pointed out West Warrnambool skipper Michael Threlfall and Brierly Christ-Church’s Mark Murphy as two rising stars capable of playing that role.

“We’ll see how they work together and hopefully it holds us in good stead,” Eldridge said.

WDCA will rest four squad members this weekend.

West Warrnambool teenager Tom Smith, who has represented Western Waves at the under 18 state championships, will join Russells Creek’s Ben Boyd, Dennington skipper Dustin Drew and Nirranda’s Jason Mungean on the sidelines.

The Cross Border Cup starts at 11am tomorrow.

n Cross Border Cup squad: Brett Eldridge, Geoff Williams (Nestles), Josh Stapleton, Zashan Arshad (Merrivale), Mark Murphy (Brierly-Christ Church), Matt Brophy (Allansford), Michael Threlfall, Karl Turner (West Warrnambool), Jake McKinnon, Nick Butters, Hank Schlaghecke (Woodford), Daminda Ranaweera (Dennington), Damon Delaney (Nirranda).