By Mark Murray
MAN of the moment Justin Baker says he is more focused on Yarraville Club’s team goals than individual success as the Victorian Turf Cricket Association (VTCA) nears the Christmas break.
Baker smacked another 51 on Saturday against Altona North to give him 448 for the season, but he is more excited about where his side sits on the VTCA table.
According to Baker, Yarraville Club set itself a pre-season goal to be sitting inside the top-two when the season broke for the holiday period.
The team leads the competition and will take some stopping when the business end of the summer rolls around.
While Baker said he was happy with his form, he stressed his eyes were firmly fixed on team success rather than individual glory.
“I’m seeing the ball very well and am in pretty good nick, I guess, but I’m just trying to get the team goals through first like everyone else,” he said.
“I know it sounds cliche, but we had a few things we wanted to achieve before Christmas and it’s just nice to be contributing to that.
“We wanted to be sitting top two so we’re in the position we were hoping for.”
Baker said the club didn’t enjoy its most productive pre-season in the nets but the side seemed to have gelled quickly.
The fact he is bludgeoning bowling attacks from pillar to post may also have played a part in the Clubbers’ success to date.
Baker set himself a goal to finish with the summer with 600 runs before the season started, a figure which has now been reassessed.
But he said any talk of cracking 1000 for the summer was premature.
“I guess I have had to step back and take a look at where I want to be and I guess I’ll be happy with around 500 runs before Christmas,” he said.
“But I’m not talking about 1000 or anything like that because it’s not healthy to look that far ahead.
“A lot of people are saying it to me, and let’s be honest, it would be a pretty fair feat to get that many runs. But I’ll be happy if we keep winning.”
Summing up the kind of batsman Baker is, is perhaps best described by the man himself.
“I don’t see any point in blocking a half volley if it’s the first ball of the day,” he said.
“A half volley is a half volley.”
