YACKANDANDAH’S best cricket will come later in the summer, but that won’t stop it looking for revenge against defending premier Eskdale in their round 2 clash, according to captain Mick Walker.
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The Roos and Eskdale enter the clash after dominant wins in the opening round.
The Mitta Valley team will add prolific rungetter Clint Gilson to a line-up that racked up almost 350 against Howlong.
At the same time Yackandandah will be without four of its first graders for the top of the table clash.
Adding further intrigue will be the state of a new pitch that has been refurbished ahead of the cricket season.
Walker said it was crunch time.
“It was nice to start the year with a win, but we know we are coming up against the defending champions,” he said.
“They belted Howlong last week and Gilson comes into the side.
“You’d expect they will belt a few more before the season’s over.”
Walker said last summer’s low scoring grand final loss was now past history.
“It would be nice to take some revenge for that loss, but we know we will get better as the year goes on,” he said.
“They’re a quality side and we won’t being targeting any particular player.
“We have a few out and in some ways are still finding our feet, so we’ll just look to contain them and play the game on its merits.
“We prefer to play our best cricket later in the year.”
Walker said the pitch was an unknown.
“This is the first time we have played on the surface after doing some work in the off-season,” he said.
“It was nothing major — we just took the top off the old wicket and scarified it, general maintenance really.
“But this is the first time it will have been used for first grade cricket, and, like all early season wickets, there is always a chance it could do a few funny things.”
