The 19-year-old, though one of the younger members of the side, is already vastly experienced and accustomed to the responsibilities of captaincy after he played second fiddle to Corey Knight last season.

When Knight decided to decline the captaincy in 2020/21, Paterson was a natural successor.

The youngster also led Trinity during his high school days, and is not intimidated by the prospect of taking up the job at the senior level.

"I've kind of worked out how to be a good captain," Paterson said.

"I know how to be fair, and if it has to be done, how to be harsh. I've learnt along the way, it's something that I like to do and I'm happy with it.

"I know what I'm in for."

As the wicketkeeper and opening batsman for Crookwell, Paterson is already one of the busiest members of the team. But he is looking forward to the duties that come with the extra role.

"It gives me a bit more pressure, especially because I'm only 19 and probably one of the most experienced in the team," Paterson said.

"It's good though, because I can help the younger fellas coming into the team and it's not as intimidating for them, being a younger person they can talk to."

Crookwell's performances have been mercurial in past seasons. The team finished strong in first grade in 2018/19, and started with a bang in 2019/20, only to fall away in the latter half of the year.

This season, Paterson believes the side has what it takes to win consistently.

"We've got a good team, we've been young and learning for a few years," he said.

"I reckon we're in for a good shot ... there are some older heads in there still, plenty of young heads, and a good mix in between."

This mixture of experience and youth has Paterson anticipating a change of attitude for Crookwell. Historically, the team has played a devil-may-care brand of cricket, which results in exciting matches but also leads to inconsistency.

This year, Paterson said the side is looking "uncharacteristic".

"We've got some good young fellas that will take some people by surprise. We've got some good little quick bowlers, and smart bowlers, and we've got people who like to bat and have a good game of cricket.

"We've also got people like old Sparra [Stu Parsons], he's been playing for years and years, he just loves it. With his knowledge, and the new fellas, I think that'll be it for us this year. A new mix."

The only challenge for Crookwell, particularly in the early weeks of the competition, will be ensuring they have enough to field a side.

While there have been plenty of numbers at training, both the local soccer and hockey seasons continue. As many of Crookwell's athletes are multi-faceted, the cricket team's makeup is likely to be inconsistent for the first few rounds while some players finish their winter commitments.

Indeed, Crookwell was forced to forfeit its first match on Saturday against the Warriors due to a lack of numbers.

Next Saturday, October 24, they will look to rebound from a poor start with a clash against the Gordon Goats at the Lin Cooper Rec Area from 1pm.

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