FARM BOY READY

Wicketkeeper backed to handle pressure

THE pressure is on Adam Zabala as he steps up to the stumps for the Northern open side.

The first time at that level in the seniors, it will take a near perfect display with the gloves to get the wood over their southern rivals.

There is also a spot in the Queensland Country side on the line.

But there is one man back at his home club Norths who believes it won’t make an ounce of difference to the self-assured keeper.

“I know what ability he has and I am confident he will do the job. He’s a farm boy from the Burdekin and that is his mentality,” Norths skipper Matt Mcguire said.

“He is there to do a job and go about his business, that is the way he plays the game.”

It is the same mentality that Zabala has brought to his training this season as he aims to break into the

open representative ranks.

With former Queensland Country keeper Josh de Munari stepping away from the game this season, Zabala has taken on the gloves full-time for the club.

Mcguire believes it has given the keeper a new sense of responsibility.

“He has been training a lot more with the gloves this year. He is owning that role and taking ownership of his game,” Mcguire said.

“He trains very hard at Norths, it is the stuff most people don’t see. He trains really hard on his keeping and his batting, this selec

tion is definitely a reward for his work.

“He has shown glimpses of brilliance this season, we are just waiting for the day he puts it all together and gets big runs for us.”

Zabala admitted the pressure of the occasion was definitely a step up from his time in the Northern under-age ranks.

But he said the side had put no expectations on themselves. There was just a desire to get the wood over their southern rivals.

“There is that pressure to get the win. Everyone just wants to beat those southerners,” he said.

“There is a lot of people in this side that have played at this level before and I would say they would be confident in themselves. I am confident in my abilities but I am just keen to get out and play.”

Rather than talk about his own game, the humble Zabala was quick to pinpoint fellow North Queensland representative Craig Mcelligott as the person to break open the contest.

The Brothers batsman has been a class above with the bat this season, hitting 197 runs at an average of 66.7 in representative cricket and 306 runs at an average of 76.5 in Townsville Cricket A Grade. “(He) has been scoring runs for fun, I am really excited to see how he goes,” Zabala said.

Northern play against Southern in a series of games in Cairns this weekend which starts with a T20 today before two 50over clashes tomorrow and Sunday.