Cameron Milne has paid tribute to Andy Mack ahead of Kookaburras and Albion's one-dayer at Wolseley Oval on Saturday, recalling the allrounder making his first-grade debut at Albion years ago and then watching him grow as a cricketer and a man.
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Kookaburras veteran Milne was surprised to see Mack make his return to cricket in the recently staged T20 matches, after undergoing a knee reconstruction. He had thought the "match-winner" was gone for the season.
Milne said: "Albion have improved with Andy Mack coming back ... He's done well with his rehab, where he's got himself into a position where he's gonna play for the rest of the year."
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The run to the finals begins in earnest this weekend with the first of four one-dayers before the finals begin on February 29.
Milne said that Mack looked "a little bit rusty" in the T20s, but his "natural ability" still made him "one of the best cricketers in Gunnedah by a mile".
"He's a match-winner for them," Milne said. "He's got a proven history of doing it. He's done it against me a number of times."
Milne not only has a lot of respect for Mack as a cricketer, he has "a lot of love" for him as a person, too. "Because he played his first senior game with me way back; I've seen him come right through."
"He takes the game on," Milne added. "He's not shy. When Albion are in difficult situations, if you go back through history, you'll see that Andy Mack digs them out [of trouble]."
Third-placed Kookaburras trail Albion by 29 points and Milne, who will miss Saturday's clash due to work, believes that Burras cannot reel them in.
"It's just a matter of getting ourselves in a position to play finals now," he said. "It's a matter getting everyone into form like we did last year."
Kookaburras beat Albion in last season's grand final after finishing the regular season in third place. The minor premiers are guaranteed a grand final berth, with the second- and third-placed teams meeting in the semi-final for the right to advance to the finale.
Milne said: "I think the actual team spirit's good. We haven't played our best cricket yet, a bit like last year. [But] we're working towards it."
Elsewhere on Saturday, second-placed Court House play Mornington at Kitchener Park. Winless Mornington are out of finals contention.
