Albury's 'Smash Brothers' are looking to spearhead the club's first finals appearance in 12 years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Since teaming up at the top of the order in February, Englishman Dom Stockdale and former CAW representative Alex Popko have posted two tons and two half-century stands in eight 50-over games, racking up 466 runs at 58.
That includes a 140-run stand against St Patrick's in round four with Popko blasting five boundaries and three sixes in his 81, while Stockdale struck 11 fours in his 74.
"It's been a breath of fresh air," Popko said of his relatively new batting partner.
"You can be striking at 100 per cent, but if somebody at the other end is two runs from 12 balls and you're 30 off 12 overs, you feel like you've got to go quicker even though you're batting well."
The pair, whose birthdays are two days apart in February, share a passion for aggressive batting.
"I prefer attacking to defending, that's the way I've always played," 23-year-old Stockdale said.
"I'm really enjoying it with Alex because there's no sort of pressure on either because there's not someone who's not scoring quickly.
"He plays very well down the ground and he'd be up there with one of the best batsmen in the league I'd say."
Popko sits 10th in run-scorers with 194 at 32.
The 32-year-old played just two of the five T20 games.
"As you get older you obviously have more and more commitments and less time, but yes, I love my cricket and I'm keen," he said.
It's Stockdale's second stint in Australia after playing a season at Finley in his late teens.
"I opened the batting and I didn't go very well, it was definitely a good experience," he said.
"It doesn't swing as much obviously as back home."
The dynamic duo's partnership will go a long way to deciding if Albury can play finals for the first time since 2007-08.
Albury is the only team to pass 200 against undefeated Wodonga.
ALSO IN SPORT:
The visitors posted 201 and Wodonga was in trouble at 5-108, but an unbeaten 64 from long-time star Bob Jackson proved the difference.
The club currently sits in a bunch of six teams on three wins and four losses.
Albury meets two of those in the lead-up to the three-week Christmas break so wins will be crucial.
Albury hosts Tallangatta on Saturday with enormous interest in debutant Innocent Kaia, who played for Zimbabwe's under 19 team almost a decade ago.
It could well come down to how he performs in relation to Tallangatta's one-time Indian under 19 all-rounder Sahib Malhotra.