The former Bulls captain missed last Saturday’s one-day fixture with a quadriceps injury and is in a race against time to be fit for the week-long carnival, which starts on February 9.

Selectors have named a list of 14 players and two emergencies, with the team to be led by captain-coach Carman Mapatuna from Napoleons-Sebastopol.

Mapatuna takes over the skipper’s role from Ballarat-Redan’s Bobby Hind, who remains in the side as a batsman.

And it’s batting that appears to be the team’s strength, according to chairman of selectors Mark Van De Heuvel, who believes it is a stronger group than last year.

“I think our batting will be the strength because we bat well down. We have Carman (Mapatuna) and Ryan (Knowles) batting around five and six,” he said.

“With Capey (Matt Cape) playing the first two games, he is probably going to bat at three. We have got a good mix of medium pacers with (Liam) Rigby, (Andrew) Warrick and (Daniel) White, and Jason (Knowles) is going to be the other one (if available).

“If he doesn’t go, we have got Ash (McCafferty), who has got a bit of pace, and four slow bowlers to use. Ryan (Knowles) bowls, too.

“We bat right down and can mix our bowling up. We have got good, young blokes who can field well.”

Golden Point and Naps-Sebas lead the way with three representatives each, while Wendouree skipper Cole Roscholler is the first-choice wicketkeeper.

Ballarat will play in division two for the second-straight season after being relegated from the provincial grade.

It finished third last season after missing a shot at the final and promotion when rain saw the fourth-round pool match washed out.

A clash against Sunraysia in Footscray opens Ballarat’s campaign on Monday, February 9, before games against Yarra Valley in Dandenong, Mornington Peninsula (2) in Coburg and Hamilton in Williamstown. 

The top two teams then play in a decider on Friday, February 13.

The Ballarat squad gets a warm-up for the carnival in an annual clash against Bendigo this Sunday at Eastern Oval.

The squad: Carman Mapatuna (Naps-Sebas, captain-coach), Cole Roscholler (Wendouree, wicketkeeper), Allister Edmends (Ballarat-Redan), Matt Cape (Darley), Bobby Hind (Ballarat-Redan), Saman Jayantha (Golden Point), Steve Nicholson (Mt Clear), Daniel White (Golden Point), Andrew Warrick (Golden Point), Sajith Rupasingha (Darley), Liam Rigby (Naps-Sebas), Jason Knowles (Brown Hill), Ryan Knowles (Brown Hill), Jacob Eyers (Naps-Sebas)

Emergencies: Ash McCafferty (North Ballarat), Jakob Tidyman (North Ballarat).

tim.oconnor@fairfaxmedia.com.au