A consummate team batting performance is needed by Kookaburras to pull off an upset win over Albion at Kitchener Park on Saturday, says Cameron Milne.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Kookaburras captain, who will resume on 12 not out on day two of the clash, says he alone cannot get the job done.
Kookaburras will resume at 3-25, chasing 280.
“It’s a team effort to chase 280 – it’s not individual,” he said.
“It’s got to be a concerted team effort.
“You just need one bloke to get some of them [runs], and the other blokes to contribute all the way through.”
READ ALSO:
On the plus side, Milne agreed that the pressure was off Kookaburras because they were not expected to win.
And while he said Kookaburras should have restricted Albion to a lower total, the side needed to “knuckle down” and get on with it.
“Being three down, the rest of us have to just dig in … If we bat all day Saturday, we’re a fair chance of making that amount of runs,” he said.
“Everyone’s got the capabilities. All you need is for five guys to get 30 and one guy to get 50 plus and you’re there. Albion did it [in their first innings].”
For Kookaburras to win, it would appear an attitude adjustment is needed.
On day one of the clash, Milne was disappointed with the players’ energy in the field.
“Fielding is always about attitude, and our attitude wasn’t there,” he had said.
Albion openers Jake Vigor (77) and Brad Jenkinson (44) combined for a 127-run partnership for the first wicket.
After some accurate bowling from Luke Ellis (3-20), Kookaburras battled back to claim 5-30 to have Albion 5-157.
But the comeback was short-lived, as veterans James Mack (56 not out) and Damien Baldwin (36) helped guide Albion to 8-280.
Joining Milne in the centre for the start of day two will be Paddy Paul (2 not out).
Shayne Riordan, who made 55 in the loss to Court House last round, will return to the side this weekend.
At Wolseley Oval, Court House veteran Sam Doubleday said the side would go hard for an outright win against Mornington. Mornington will resume on 5-26, chasing 173.
But for that to happen, Doubleday said the side had to do “the simple things right”.
“With any luck, our bowlers can get off to a good start Saturday and roll them over and try and roll them over again,” he said.
“But cricket’s a funny game … anything can happen. We’ve just got to do the simple things right, like we have been doing for the last couple of years.”