Wodonga Raiders have trainee anaesthetist in their team

Doctor Nikhil Kharwadkar is based at Wodonga hospital until February as part of a six-month rotation from his Canberra base.

He played his second first grade game in last week's stunning upset of grand finalists St Patrick's.

Defending only 97 at home, Raiders ripped through the Patties for only 63 on a spinning deck.

Off-spinner Kharwadkar claimed 3-6 from 10 overs, with six maidens.

CAW provincial has certainly produced better figures, but it's rare for a bowler to concede less than a run per over.

"He did bowl very well, the couple of games he's played, he's bowled very economically," Raiders' coach Stewart Pearce suggested.

And although Kharwadkar attracted little pre-season media focus, it shouldn't surprise he's having an impact.

He played alongside then-Australian captain Tim Paine and former Test quick Ben Hilfenhaus at University of Tasmania in the island's Premier League, while studying medicine.

He played against one-time Big Bash star Ben Dunk and even dismissed former Australian short-form gun Dan Christian.

"It was in a T20 game probably about five years ago," he recalled.

"It was my first ball to him, he tried to charge me and I bowled it a little wider and shorter than I'd have liked and he ran straight past it.

"I'll remember that for the rest of my life, I'll tell everyone that story (laughs)."

Quite remarkably, Christian is now playing for Corowa in Cricket Albury-Wodonga provincial, but Kharwadkar didn't play for Raiders when the teams met on November 4.

Work commitments on weekends will rule the right-armer out at times, but he loves to play the game when possible.

"It's an outlet for me, something that's not work or study, it's good fun and I've always enjoyed my cricket," he outlined.

"I feel like I've never got to reach my potential because I was always focusing on work, I just do it for fun now."

Like so many spinners, Kharwadkar is a deep thinker and thrives on the battle between bat and ball.

"I like the challenge, the fact that I can not only beat people with my skills, but outthink them as well, spin bowling is the right art for me," he explained.

The 29-year-old has nothing but praise for Albury-Wodonga Health and was quizzed why he chose a career in anaesthetics, which is another four years study after the five years of medicine.

"I really like critical care medicine, so essentially dealing with patients that are slightly sicker and where we can have the most benefit," he revealed.

"Anaesthetics is that medium between lots of procedural skills and having to think about the medication that we administer."

Raiders are away to Albury in CAW's round seven on Saturday, while St Pat's host North Albury, Tallangatta travels to Baranduda, Belvoir is home to East Albury, Corowa hosts Lavington and New City is away to Wodonga.

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