Ominous touch: Prolific batter building towards top form

Usually with the willow in his hand or with the ability to take wickets when needed, the triple division one premiership player - he made a century in the 2015-16 grand final - has been a match winner for more than a decade.

But Howlett, a former winner of the WDCA player of the year award in 2014-15, is now stepping up to the plate alongside his batting in a different role as division one wicket keeper.

It's a role he wasn't expecting with unavailability and departures playing a part but with bowling on the back burner it is something he has enjoyed taking on.

"It's been enjoyable for a change, it probably wasn't by choice though," he said.

"It's just something to do I guess and fill a void for the side. I'm probably more a backstop than anything."

After being restricted to six games last season due to a niggling knee injury, the top-order batter has been building into some ominous form.

Division one scores of 76, 64, 46 and 46 already this season in one-day matches have him sitting sixth for total runs already and his impressive campaign with the bat rolled on in Thursday night's Twenty20 opener, blasting 84 from 41 balls against Hawkesdale.

He said he was feeling confident in his game but admitted he had a "slow start".

"I probably had a slow start to the year, but I feel I'm getting there," he said.

"I didn't really do a pre-season which is my own fault to be honest but things are getting better and feeling pretty good.

"But there's always room for improvement with my batting."

Howlett said the talent at the club was exciting and he believed sitting 11th on the table so far wasn't a reflection of the group's competitiveness.

"We've lost a few guys to uni and whatnot, stuff like that but the likes of Toby (McDonald-Harry), Ryan (McInerney), they've been bowling really well and have been taking their opportunities which is exciting to see," he said.

"It's important we get the juniors through and developing and we want to get a good young group together and keep them, but it is hard, people go off to uni.

"But we've been thereabouts and there's probably been just a few things that have let us down. We've not been disgraced, but we can tidy up things like our fielding.

"We've got to take our chances when we get them, but that's like every other side I guess."

He said he was looking forward to getting back into some two-day cricket after Christmas, believing it would suit his and the side's game.

"Back in the day I used to bowl a fair bit but 80 overs is great to bat, you can really set yourself instead of having to get to 40, 50 overs and then going," he said.

"It definitely suits our guys more I reckon."