Wodonga captain BJ Garvey said the club was without 25 players from the top three grades last week.

“Wodonga keep talking about the blokes that are unavailable, but they’re not the only side in that position,” Ball said.

“We had six players under 17 last week.

“We had six or seven away with the opening of the cod season.

“Wodonga plays the underdogs’ tag, but they’re on top of the ladder, and they’re smashing teams.

“They beat East Albury by 200 runs.”

Ball is a stirrer, but Wodonga coach Dan Dixon maintains it wasn’t a ploy.

“We weren’t complaining about how many we had out, it is what it is,” he said.

“You can’t force a bloke to play if he has other commitments.

‘It’s been epidemic across the league, there was a story about Belvoir recently where they didn’t have any bowlers.

“But we haven’t made an issue of it.” 

The ladder leader hammered East Albury after compiling 5-270, with Jack Craig blasting 91.

“Jack’s the little Trent Ball,” Ball laughed.

“I played with Jack at Wodonga, and the way he bats, if he’s in, he’s in.”

Ball has built a reputation as a dasher, while Craig is also capable of destroying an attack.

Wodonga will host the top-of-the-table clash on Saturday, which is also the season’s first two-dayer.

Meanwhile, the region’s highest profile official says Albury’s opening bowlers Chris Sole and Dave Tassell form the quickest combination in around 20 years.

“They’re the quickest pair since Kelvin Williams and Dave Anderson at North Albury,” Cricket NSW’s Robbie Mackinlay said.

“Neither of them are express, but there hasn’t been many teams in that time with two out-and-out quicks.

“I still maintain (St Patrick’s) Jarryd Hatton is the quickest bowler in the comp, but he doesn’t have a speedster with him.”

Sole and Tassell have jumped into the top five wicket-takers.

The Scotsman has 16 at 12.63, while Tassell has 14.

Tassell is now in his fourth season at Albury.

“I’d say the radar is a bit more spot-on, I was more erratic at first,” he said.

“Chris has actually been good for me, he’s worked on my run-up and bowling action.”

Albury will host East Albury, and while it’s fourth, it will be desperate given Sole is away in January with international commitments.

“I haven’t really had a quick spell,” he said.

“It’s a rhythm thing, you have days where the first couple come out well, but I haven’t had that for my full 10 overs.”