CAVALIERS captain Richie Venner is excited at the prospect of picking up the bat in the Orange District Cricket Association first grade season today.
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Cavaliers are undefeated in their five games to date but Venner has only needed to bat twice.
The side will be without Chris Martin, Stu Middleton, Trent Jones and Mark Maybin for today’s one-day match at Wade Park.
This season Venner, formerly an opener, has moved down the order - but things will be different today.
“Without Stu and Marto I might get a bat,” Venner laughed.
The lack of batting this season hasn’t hurt Venner.
In his side’s two-day win over Kinross, Venner made 38 before being caught.
In Cavaliers one-day win over the students before the Christmas break Venner made a handy 58.
Cavaliers sit in second spot on the ODCA first grade ladder with 40 points - two points behind CYMS.
Cavaliers have had the most byes of any team to date - three.
It won’t be easy, with Centrals starting to find some form - coming off a two-day win over Orange City before the break.
The win pushed the defending champions closer to the top three but they are still 12 points behind Orange City.
“It was good to get some points and get back in an area where it’s possible to get in the semi-finals,” Centrals’ Jarrod Simpson said.
When Cavaliers and Centrals last met in round five, Centrals suffered an eight-wicket loss.
Simpson said his team has improved since then.
“With the bat, we’re making better scores and that way we can bowl to put some pressure on,” he said.
Centrals will be without Jake Pauletto and Riley Harvey but Dave Aldis and Anthony Salmon will be adequate replacements.