Gold Coast Dolphins wicketkeeper Lewin Maladay keen to reclaim gloves from deputy Mitch Daly

GOLD Coast Dolphin Lewin Maladay has welcomed the challenge thrown down by fellow wicketkeeper Mitch Daly, but vowed to reclaim the gloves in their quest for a first grade finals berth.

GOLD Coast Dolphin Lewin Maladay has welcomed the challenge thrown down by fellow wicketkeeper Mitch Daly, but vowed to reclaim the gloves in their quest for a Queensland Premier Cricket finals berth.

On the comeback from a broken finger, Maladay, 21, is playing as a specialist batsman in the Dolphins’ two-day clash with Ipswich-Logan, which will resume on Saturday with the home side at 4-186.

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Deputising for Maladay in their Round 8 encounter with Sandgate-Redcliffe, Daly impressed with an unbeaten 50 against a Gators attack featuring Queensland legspinner Mitch Swepson.

But having spent time training with the Bulls in recent months, National Performance Squad member Maladay is eager to return to glovework and continue his push for state second XI selection.

Gold Coast Dolphins wicketkeeper Lewin Maladay. Picture: Mike Batterham

“I’m keen to get back behind the gloves but we’ll see what the skipper’s (Max Houlahan) position is. The aim is to hopefully get back sooner rather than later,” said Byron Bay product Maladay, a former NSW and Australian under-19 representative.

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“I haven’t even started catching any balls yet so we’ll see. (When you have competition) it drives you to keep you on your toes and not let your standards slip.

“There’s always someone behind you who’s just as keen. Mitchy loves his cricket and loves being around the first grade boys. He proved himself last game against Sandgate.”

Maladay playing for the Australian under-19s. Picture: Luke bowden

Maladay was a member of the Dolphins side that chased down Wynnum Manly’s 322 in Round 6, before making his second half-century of the season with 60 in a losing effort against Wests.

He said the triumph over Wynnum had instilled belief the side could chase anything Ipswich-Logan set them on Saturday.

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“I think we’ve got 112 overs to play so (it will be interesting) to see how they approach it, with only 180 on the board at the moment with a few wickets down, when they look to attack,” Maladay, who has 140 runs at 28 this season, said.

Dolphins keeper Mitch Daly.

“They’ll have to set a total but be cautious with how many overs they leave us to get it so it will be interesting to see how they go about. It should make for a good game.

“That (Wynnum win) was a big turning point for our season. It was only early in the season but it gave us a bit of belief and knocked a few doubts out of people’s minds that those bigger totals we can chase down.”

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Nick De Giusti (18) and Lachlan Prince (7) are the not-out batsmen for Ipswich after Lachlan Thomson-Matthews made a patient 61 before the heavens opened last week.

After a win and a loss from their opening Twenty20 fixtures last weekend, the Dolphins’ women will play away to University of Queensland and Wests in the Katherine Raymont Shield on Sunday.