By Jonty Ralphsmith
Cardinia captain-coach Mark Cooper is aware of the room for improvement despite an undefeated start to the season.
The Bulls were on track for victory before their game against Devon Meadows was abandoned, and have since beaten Clyde, Merinda Park, Upper Beaconsfield and an understrength Kooweerup.
While those wins have given Cooper’s side a handy buffer inside the top four, the Demons are the only victory so far over a 2023-24 finals side – and the Demons were missing three first choice players.
The Bulls have found ways to win without putting teams to the sword, with a series of inclusions ahead of the 2024-25 season taking time to gel.
As well as Cooper, Cardinia welcomed fast bowlers Trishane De Silva and Jack Burchill and spinning all rounder Yohan Arumadura, while John Nooy also returned.
While all of those players have spent meaningful time at the batting or bowling crease – or both – none have been able to build sustained form.
“We need to convert our scores when we get in,” Cooper said.
“It’s not a concern yet because it’s not affecting our results.
“If it’s something that continues, we’ll have to address it but it’s happened right across the board so we have to focus on it as a group.
“On the weekend, Kooweerup created good pressure which happens when you play good teams and against Upper Beac, we played on a slow ground so they were two different circumstances.
“I still feel like we need more of a data sample.”
The round 5 clash with Kooweerup is the most significant match the club has played since its semi final last season, when the Bulls lost to eventual premier Tooradin by a whopping 156 runs.
Forced to respond to pressure created by Chris Bright and Shiran Rathnayake, Cooper was pleased with his side’s ability to recognise the big moments and step up.
“We hung in the game,” Cooper said.
“We learned a fair bit about how to create pressure back once an opponent is getting on top of us to stay in the game. We made some plays when we needed to which helped us get back in the game.
“I still feel like we’re finding our right roles we don’t know each other’s games that well yet.
“We’re still getting to know each other and we could talk through situations better at times.
“I think both batting and bowling units are working that out but there’s heaps of time.
“That’s what finals cricket is about, those moments and we’re trying to build up to that so we can build up under that sort of pressure.”
