"I'm playing a completely different role than I ever have, I've only just started to understand it and play it now," he said.

"I'm batting lower in the order and coming in towards the end of the innings to try and score quickly."

It's not a role that comes naturally to the 20-year-old.

"I have learnt how to over the past few years, I never was (a quick scorer), it's all starting to click the last month I suppose."

de Vries is in his first year with the Crows after moving up a level from district outfit Kiewa.

He started the season quietly and played a second grade game on January 11 after missing the final match before Christmas with a wedding.

Since then, he's rattled off 40, 47, 14, 26 and 30.

The first two, in particular, showed his ability to handle the stronger competition against in-form teams Albury and Wodonga respectively.

"With the batting side of it, you've got to learn how to score off the good balls," he said.

"You don't get as many loose ones, so you have to find a way to turn the strike over.

"I wanted to test myself at the higher level and I'm a lot more confident in myself now at this level."

de Vries has always been a mature cricketer, given he captained Kiewa as a teenager in last year's run to the district grand final, falling to Yackandandah.

The move to provincial has also allowed him to link up with his older brother Ryan.

"It's awesome, I grew up out at Kiewa obviously playing with him, that was definitely another one of the things that brought me into town," he said.

The Crows face another fierce test when they travel to North Albury on Saturday.

While East is flying, sitting third with almost double the wins of last season, North has fallen to sixth on the back of three straight losses.

A fourth successive loss would be incredibly rare over the past 25 years.

The Hoppers-Crows clash is one of two involving top six outfits.

Lavington and Wodonga are the in-form teams and it should be a crackerjack top of the table clash.

Neither outfit has had a loss since Christmas.

ALSO IN SPORT:

The prospect of Wodonga's powerful batting, led by veteran Bob Jackson, against the home attack, spearheaded by paceman Ryan Brown and Riverina spinner Michael Galvin, will be thrilling to watch.

Elsewhere, Albury hosts Belvoir and Wodonga Raiders travel to Tallangatta in matches the home teams simply can't afford to lose as they look to finish as high as possible in finals.

New City-St Patrick's won't have a bearing on the top six.