The under 16 side will play North West Wizards at Warrnambool’s Jones Oval on Wednesday, determined to make it two wins from four matches in the region.

The Waves, who will finish their state championships campaign in Melbourne in January, scored a five-wicket victory over Western Spirit in Port Fairy on Tuesday morning before falling 30 runs short against Northern Rivers at Koroit’s Jack Keane Oval in the afternoon.

The double-header followed their humbling nine-wicket loss to Central Highlands on Monday and a convincing win over Mallee Murray Bulls in Horsham in November.

Waves teammates Joe Nyikos and Ethan Boyd, who play club cricket for West Warrnambool and Allansford respectively, want to take a positive mindset into the metropolitan games.

“It’s always good down in Melbourne. It’s the same kind of stage and it’s a hard level against the top players in your state, so it’s good to challenge yourself against them,” Boyd said.

Boyd – the son of Gators veteran and Victoria Country skipper Ben – said the Waves, under coach John Houston, prided themselves on team morale.

“The roles we’ve been playing are to try and encourage teammates and get up and about in the field and get behind everyone,” he said.

Nyikos said the YPL pathway was an opportunity players embraced.

“It’s good because you can express your talent and show everybody why you’re here,” he said.

Nyikos, an all-rounder who snared 2-11 against the Spirit and 1-16 against Rivers, said the Waves’ loss on Monday jolted them into action.

“It was a really hard game yesterday and we probably fell into a few of their (Central Highlands’) traps and had to play their game,” he said.

“But today (against the Spirit) we really played our game and bowled really well and chased down really well.”

Boyd claimed 2-17 against the Spirit too as it was bundled out for 79 and Brierly-Christ Church’s Campbell Love top-scored with 22.

Love terrorised Northern Rivers’ batsmen in the next match, taking 3-15 and two catches as they cobbled together 8-128.

He top-scored with 31 but it wasn’t enough as the Waves fell short.

“He’s been a star with the bat and ball everyday and really sets the tone every over,” Nyikos said of Love.

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