Ashan Ranaweera had asked repeatedly when an 18-year-old girl - who would later accuse him of rape - was going to arrive at a party on Christmas Day 2017, a court has heard.
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The hosts of the party were among witnesses to give evidence in Wangaratta County Court on Wednesday.
One man, who was friends with Ranaweera through Mount Beauty Cricket Club and also his neighbour, invited him to his family's Christmas party because Ranaweera's own family was back in his native Sri Lanka.
He said his friend arrived at the party at 5pm with bottles of scotch and red wine, and described his mood as "merry".
The 18-year-old and her mother were running late.
"He was asking when they were going to be there ... he kept asking periodically every 15 to 20 minutes," the man said.
He told the court there was "hectic banter" between Ranaweera, 45, and the 18-year-old during the party, but he thought "it was all in good fun".
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His wife gave similar evidence that Ranaweera asked about the teenager four or five times before she arrived at the party at about 6.30pm.
"He was interested to know that she was going to be there," she said.
When the woman went to bed at about midnight, her own daughter and the 18-year-old - who were best friends - had decided to go to bed outside on the trampoline.
But she was woken up at 3am to hear the teenager was missing.
Ranaweera has pleaded not guilty to the five charges, saying the sexual encounter was consensual.
The court heard the Sri Lanka native had been sponsored to live in Mount Beauty on a sports visa, to play and coach cricket.
The alleged rape victim spent about two hours on Tuesday and most of Wednesday giving evidence in a closed court.
She was in a remote witness facility in the courthouse, so she did not have to be in the same room as Ranaweera.
Prosecutor Andrew Moore told the jury at the start of the trial the teenager reported the alleged rape that night and was examined by a forensic nurse the next day.
The nurse is scheduled to give evidence on Thursday, as the trial continues.
