With his team sitting just inside the Provincial top six and defending 244 today against seventh-placed East Albury, Naughton admits a finals berth is no given for St Patricks, but he is confident he will be able to return to the bowling crease if the Patties make it.

“I haven’t bowled for a while, I hurt the elbow when we (a CAW invitational team) played (Australian Country Championship side) East Asia Pacific in early January,” he said.

“It’s been niggling me since then and I haven’t bowled for a fair while, which isn’t ideal.

“I bowled off a few paces the other day and it seemed better ... the big picture is to have it ready to go for next weekend — that’s the plan anyway.

“We have to get there first.”

Naughton said he may have to consider undergoing surgery at the end of the season to repair the elbow but a more pressing concern is ensuring the Patties’ attack can beat East Albury at Xavier Oval today.

A Crows victory could send the Patties crashing out of the finals race and East Albury vice-captain Grant Lewis said his team would be confident of doing so, if given the chance.

“My understanding is, the loser will be out of the finals, but hopefully we get a chance (to play) because it’s supposed to rain, so it might come down to percentage,” Lewis said.

“We’re chasing 240-odd but it should have been closer to 180 — Haysie (Jerim Hayes) came in at the end (of the Patties’ innings last week) and slapped it around like it was a twenty20 game and it came off for him.

“We’re still confident though, we just need to get off to a good start.”

In other games, fifth-placed Dederang will resume its chase of North Albury’s 411 at 1-30; Lavington will press for outright honours at Yackandandah; Wodonga (3-67) continues its chase of Albury’s 139 while Belvoir and Tallangatta are set to play a 50-over game after their clash was washed out last week.

- CAW chairman Michael Erdeljac said a decision on whether games would go ahead wouldn’t be made until today.