The top of the table clash between the undefeated home team and the premiers is certainly the most anticipated.

It pits Wodonga’s strong batting, albeit missing the season’s leading run-scorer in Tom Johnson when he was forced out through surgery, against Lavington’s five-star pace attack, led by in-form speedsters David Tassell and Ryan Brown.

But Wodonga has a fine attack in the ultra consistent Byron Hales, Victoria Country junior rep Harris Lee and former ACT-NSW Country Comets’ paceman Cam Suidgeest.

“I was quite surprised, I didn’t know what to expect coming over here, it’s quite a strong comp,” Suidgeest said of his CAW introduction.

“There’s quite a few players that are quite strong, but also I think from the top team to bottom, there’s not a massive difference, in Canberra, it might have been a little moreso.”

One aspect he’s had to adapt to though is the lack of turf wicket availability for training.

“Yeah, it’s sort of been tough because being involved with the rep stuff in Canberra, having access to turf a couple of nights a week, then trying to find ways to stay in form through different methods,” he said.

“That’s been challenging but, overall, I’ve been pretty happy.” 

The 26-year-old speedster played at the under 19 National Championships in Brisbane, but it was just before the record-breaking flood, so it was a disrupted carnival.

He then played 15 games for the Comets, who compete against the States’ 2^nd XI’s.

“One wicket that comes to mind immediately was Joe Burns in my last game,” he said.

“He was playing for the (Queensland) Bulls coming back from injury and he was off to South Africa shortly after that for the Test series.”

Suidgeest has taken eight wickets at 25.5, and Wodonga will be hoping for a breakout game against the second-placed outfit.

“It’s always good fun going into a tussle like this, with two of the better teams in the comp, it always makes for a good game,” he said.

“Coming into the comp I’ve been well notified that there’s quite a healthy rivalry, I think naturally because they’re two successful clubs.”

The pair has already met once, but it was at T20 level.

Wodonga posted 3-138, but the Panthers nabbed a three-wicket win with eight balls to spare.

Tassell and Brown sit first and third in the wicket-takers with 20 and 17 respectively.

Wodonga doesn’t have a player in the top ten, although leg-spinner Charlie Jackson sits just outside with 12 victims.

Both have two players in the top 10 runs, including Wodonga’s Jack Craig (337) and Sam O’Connor (288).