Baxter champion Daniel Warwick to sit out with calf injury

A painful injury is set to sideline one of Baxter’s big guns in the run to the MPCA Provincial finals.

Baxter batsman Daniel Warwick plays a shot against Mt Eliza in the 2016-17 grand final.

Baxter’s bid to make the MPCA Provincial finals has suffered a setback with champion batsman Daniel Warwick tearing his calf.

The 38-year-old had to be helped off the ground on Saturday after sustaining the injury while running between wickets against Baden Powell.

“It felt like someone hit me from behind,” Warwick, who made 26, said.

“I’d be 98 percent confident I’ll sit out this week unless something dramatically changes.”

Baxter, with four wins, is in third spot behind Old Peninsula and Langwarrin.

It hosts Red Hill in Round 8 on Saturday.

Daniel Warwick in full flight. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Warwick has scored 164 runs, at 32, in six innings this season. He’s opened the batting on all but one occasion.

Baxter captain Sammy Mullavey said while Warwick’s injury was a blow, it also presented an opportunity.

“We’ve been talking about playing around with our line-up just to give people a hit anyway,’’ he said.

“It’s risky, but what’s also a risk is getting to finals and only your top four or five have had a hit. So it’s probably an opportunity for us to shuffle it a little bit.”

Mullavey said teenager Kaedyn Hodgson, who has scored 217 runs in the seconds this season, would be brought into the side as Warwick’s replacement this weekend and given an opportunity to open the batting.

“He’s made a couple of fifties in the twos,” Mullavey said.

“He played ones against POB and definitely looked up to it. He will come in, no doubt.”

Mullavey said Baxter was “hungry” to chase the premiership this season and hoped Warwick would play a key role.

“He’ll be right by finals,” he said.

“We’re hoping it’s only two weeks, maybe three. That means he gets four games coming into the finals to get a bit of touch, a bit of form, back.”

Warwick has been a run-making machine, scoring almost 11,000 runs in 17 seasons for Baxter, including a record 305 against Somerville in 2007-08.

He says the calf tear is one of his first cricket injuries.

“It’s the first time, to be honest, I’ve had an injury,” he said.

“I haven’t even done a hamstring. I kind of hurt my quad once in Country Week but I could still play.

“This is the first time I’ve had an injury that’s kept me out of playing.”