MATT Petherick hasn’t faced a ball yet this summer, but the Russells Creek bowler is confident he can play his part with the bat if called on.
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He has only twice had to take the crease this Warrnambool and District season, coming in at number 11, but has been at the other end each time as a teammate has seen out the final deliveries.
The former Merrivale cricketer is hoping to get some runs on the board before the year is out.
“I moved over last year to Russells Creek and they gave me more opportunity with the bat, but I haven’t been required yet this year,” Petherick said.
“I’m a very, very patient batsman, I hate to give up my wicket.
“At Merrivale, I was was 12th-man bowler, I didn’t bat.”
Last summer, Petherick had an average of 21.67, usually coming into the order from position eight to 10.
But it is with the ball that the 21-year-old does the bulk of his damage.
On the weekend, he wasted no time adjusting to a new role coming in at first change, tearing through Wesley-CBC’s line-up, snaring 5-18 off nine overs.
The effort came just two weeks after Petherick claimed a hat-trick against West Warrnambool.
“That was the first of my career, so that was definitely a good experience,” he said.
“I am happy (with my form), but there’s still a long way to go in the season. So hopefully the form can continue.”
Whether he opens the bowling or is used at first change again in this Sunday’s one-day decider against Woodford, Petherick said early wickets will be key.
“Last time we played, it wasn’t a close encounter,” he said. “We couldn’t get early wickets, which set them up.”
Russells Creek will be striving for its first major division one final win.
It took out the WDCA Twenty20 crown in the competition’s inaugural year, but one-day success has been a long time coming.
“This is the first time we’ve made a major final, really,” Creek coach Jayaweera Bandara said.
“I think it’ll be a really good match. They’ve played a few finals before that. Our guys haven’t been there before.
“They’re really pumped up, but we have to start two-day cricket this Satuday, so that has to be considered first.”
Bandara and his Woodford counterpart John Houston have plenty of stars at their disposal capable of stepping up in the big games, with the Eels leader saying the result could well come down to which side’s stars fire better.
Creek’s bowlers put in a blistering display against Wesley-CBC, bundling them out for 68 in 27 overs last Saturday, but their batsmen were under fire as well, scraping together the required 69 runs with just one wicket to spare.