Turner wants to see more from his top order on Sunday

PENRITH coach Dale Turner says if his Poidevin-Gray Shield side can get its batting in order they’ll go close to winning this season’s under-21s competition.

Penrith’s Kaine Balgowan comes bakc into the under-21s squad for Sunday’s match. Picture: Dave Swift.

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PENRITH coach Dale Turner says if his Poidevin-Gray Shield side can get its batting in order they’ll go close to winning this season’s under-21s competition.

Turner, who is in his first year in charge of Penrith’s best young cricketers, knows his men got out of trouble in round one when they were 6/49 chasing 182 against Randwick Petersham.

He said if they keep batting like that they could forget about being a force in the highly competitive competition.

While the stars of first and second grade failed with the bat it was left to lower order batsmen, and third graders, Nathan Maskell (50) and Connor New (64 not out) to steer the team home.

Not one of the top five batsmen made it into double firgures in round one.

Turner wants to see more from his top order on Sunday when they take on Mosman at Howell Oval.

Kaine Balgowan is back in Penrith’s under-21s side for Sunday’s match.

“Our bowling and fielding is always going to be solid. It’s the batting that’s the key. It will decide matches for us,” he said.

“We’ve got a strong top order that play in the higher grades so they need to start applying themselves.

“We don’t want 20s and 30s from them; we want 80s, 90s, and hundreds.

“We’ve got three top-line spinners which will be a strength.”

Fast bowler Kaine Balgowan (pictured right) comes into the squad for Sunday’s match after he took a tidy 1/29 off 10 overs in second grade’s win over Manly at Howell Oval on Saturday.

Penrith haven’t won the Poidevin-Gray Shield since 2009/10 when a young Pat Cummins led the bowling attack in the side’s win against St George.

Turner, a former first-class player, is certain this year’s squad has the ability to emulate the 2009/10 side and expects his men to show why they’re premiership material on Sunday.

“This team’s got all the capabilities of going all the way,” he said.

“In fact, if we’re not in the final at the end of the season it would be a disappointment.”

The 50-over match starts at 10am.