The opening batsman is on 39 not out with Souths on 3 for 79 and requiring another 95 runs for victory heading into day-two of the round six fixture at No.3 Oval.

His patient knock to see last Saturday through to stumps comes on the back of some good form which has helped lay the platform for several big totals for Souths, including four team-mates reaching triple figures this season.

The process of quietly achieving on the field has echoed life outside of cricket for O’Donnell who designed the recently completed $10 million South Dubbo Zone Sub-Station as well as earning an Advanced Diploma in Electrical Engineering.

“It can be hard to strike a balance between work, family, sport and study,” O’Donnell said.

“Tom (4) and Emma (2 ½) are growing up and my wife Liz is expecting another one due in April so everything is going pretty well.

“Since moving to Souths from CYMS a few years ago cricket’s been a pretty casual affair. I just turn up and play cricket with a good bunch of blokes and it’s a fun, friendly atmosphere.”

O’Donnell had a big season last year scoring about 600 runs to win the South Dubbo first grade batting trophy.

This season he has again been consistent, with scores of 27, 25, 6, 68, 31 and now 39 not out for a total of 196.

While O’Donnell wishes he could emulate some of Dubbo’s batsmen who simply step up and dispatch bowlers to any part of the ground at will and make big scores in short time, he said he was content to continue accumulating runs and make life easier for those lower in the batting order.

“I wish I could bat like JC and Kemmo - watching those guys in the one-dayers is unreal,” he said.

“But I think I’m still holding my own with the bat and I’ll just keep plodding along and hold up one end.

“I’m a bit more passionate about two-day cricket - the one-day game can be a bit hit and miss - and we know at Souths that if you are one down after 25 overs then it turns the game into a 45-over match for the rest of the blokes in the batting order, so that’s how we try and play the game.”

While Souths are in the box seat to claim a win against Rugby today, win, lose or draw O’Donnell and his mates will be celebrating in their cricket gear afterwards with their annual White Night Out.