General News
20 January, 2022
Cats chasing Sungold Cup riches
FONTERRA Twenty20 Cup champions Mortlake has its focus on the first round of the Sungold Twenty20 Cup as they prepare for a double-header this weekend.
FONTERRA Twenty20 Cup champions Mortlake has its focus on the first round of the Sungold Twenty20 Cup as they prepare for a double-header this weekend.
The Cats kickstart their new year of cricket with two games this weekend, playing Heytesbury Rebels on Saturday before travelling to Dennington to face Brierly Christ Church.
Cats skipper Todd Robertson admits his side has concentrated on the Twenty20 game during its preparation.
“We have been focusing on the shorter form at the moment,” he said.
“It’s quite a big prize at the end of it, so you’d be silly not to put a bit of focus on the T20 while you can.”
With a bye last weekend, Mortlake is yet to play a game this year, but Robertson is confident his side can get back into a winning rhythm quickly.
He said depth with both the ball and bat had been a big factor in the Cats’ Fonterra Cup success.
“We haven’t actually played a game of cricket yet (this year), so we’ve been doing a bit of fielding, getting bat on ball,” Robertson said.
“But we probably bat right down to 10 or 11, and we’ve got a vast array of bowlers we can call upon for different conditions.
“Definitely our depth is one thing that might stand us apart from the opposition.
“We’re not reliant on too few.”
Brierly Christ Church has had a difficult start to its regular season, with just one win from five games, but Robertson said his side wouldn’t be taking its opponent lightly.
“Brierly is definitely a challenging side for us,” he said.
“They’ve got the two Murphy boys playing for them, Nathan and Mark, two of the best cricketers in the Warrnambool league.
“So they’re definitely going to be a challenge for us.”
To add a further wrinkle to the Cats’ preparation, star bowler Clinton Baker is unavailable for the weekend.
Mortlake will feel Baker’s absence keenly, as the opening bowler averages 8.25 in all competitions this season with an economy rate of 2.47.
But Robertson is confident Baker’s replacement will be up to the task.
“We’ve got two or three younger guys who are definitely capable of coming in,” he said.