13 Dec 2014
PETER Mitchell’s rich vein of form has been a source of elation and frustration.

Elation because he’s finally making runs for Nestles, a club he joined before the 2012-13 season and within walking distance of his home.

But frustration because he’s weeks away from shifting to England for work. The move will prematurely end his breakout season opening the batting.

“There are a few things that are going to make it pretty hard to leave Warrnambool,” Mitchell said yesterday.

“The cricket club is one of them and the form I’ve been able to find at the wrong time. It means it’s an early pre-season for the UK.”

Mitchell, who has knocks of 79, 58 and 39 to his name the past three rounds, isn’t going to be lost to the sport.

The Melbourne-raised marine biologist plans to don the whites when he settles in Lowestoft, near Norwich, on England’s east coast.

“Of the 30 kilos of baggage, my cricket kit will be some of it,” he said.

The 25-year-old grew up playing for Burwood in the Eastern Cricket Association and followed his partner to Warrnambool in early 2012.

His debut in Factory colours was a shock five-run loss to Nirranda. Mitchell grabbed 4-19 but made just four batting first-drop.

“I took four wickets and they thought I was a bowler. I quickly sorted that out,” he said.

He finished with 99 runs that season, improved to make 176 the next but has finally found his feet this campaign, tallying 196 at an average of 32.67.

“Last season I had one score of 80 which gave me a bit of confidence and got the ball rolling. That was the second-to-last game,” he said.

“This season I’ve been able to string some runs together. I did have a couple of seasons when I scored 300 (in Melbourne).

“If I was able to play a full season I’d be looking to outdo that. I definitely haven’t put together three innings in a row like I have the last few weeks.”

Mitchell said coach Ross Corbett had helped him work on “a few technical things with my batting” and deserved credit for his new-found form.

“I had a string of getting out lbw, which I was blaming on everyone else but myself,” he said.

“I’m also taking a bit more ownership, batting within myself to accumulate runs rather than trying to hit it over the fence.”

His Nestles swansong will be a Hopkins conference two-day clash with Nirranda today.

The fifth-ranked Factory would rise to third with victory.

With 30 points up for grabs for the rest of the season, a finals berth is within reach. “Finals are something we’d like to build up to. It’s one of those frustrating things. You lose games early in the season and it makes it hard,” Mitchell said.

“But with the two-dayers worth so many more points, we’re going to be right in it until February.”

In other Hopkins conference matches, Merrivale hosts Dennington at Merrivale, while Brierly-Christ Church welcomes Allansford to Brierly.

Woodford meets West Warrnambool at Jack Keane Oval in the Merri conference, Port Fairy takes on Wesley-CBC at Avery’s Paddock and Russells Creek plays East Warrnambool-YCW at Jetty Flat.