The 25-year-old missed the Eels' 2018-19 season after suffering a ruptured ACL playing football for North Warrnambool Eagles in the Hampden league.

Howlett has made scores of 92 and 56 in his first six innings back but admits it has been a slow return with scores of 19, five and zero between his highest tallies this summer.

The electrician, who will play in Sunday's Warrnambool and District Cricket Association one-day final against Brierly-Christ Church, said there were two key areas he had worked on as he aims to find his best form.

"I have been trying to gain confidence in my knee and I've been concentrating on my technique after the year off," the right-handed batsman said.

"My confidence in it is getting there slowly but it is also still in the back of mind. But I knew it would take time until goes it away."

The multiple premiership player, who has played division one at the Eels for seven seasons, said the year off gave him time to reflect on how he approached his cricket.

"It's probably allowed me not to take it so seriously and to really enjoy it more as it (the injury) showed me there is more things than cricket," he said.

"Now it's just about relaxing a bit more and enjoying it as we have a good bunch of guys out there at Woodford."

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The Jason Mungean-coached Bulls have stormed to the top of the WDCA ladder with an undefeated start to the 2019-20 summer.

And Howlett, who missed his side's last game due to family commitments, hopes the Eels can put a stop to their early season charge in this weekend's one-day finale.

"Brierly have definitely been the team to beat as they have the best batting line up and their bowling is strong as well," he said.

"We have it cut out for us and hopefully we can try to push them but they are a strong team and will be hard to beat."

Howlett's goals for his return summer rested on team success.

"Hopefully we can go as deep as we can and we have had a good start but it doesn't mean much if you don't finish it off well," the number three bat said.

"The top six is going to be very congested as it is at the moment. We want to make finals and then go on from there.

"Brierly and Creek will be the stepping stones and everyone is chasing them."

The WDCA's one-day decider is at 12.30pm at Avery's Paddock in Port Fairy.

Saturday is the first round of two-day fixtures which will run over the next two weekends before the association starts its twenty20s.

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