By NICK GUTHRIE

CYMS Cougars will be out to claim their first win of the McDonald's Megahit season tonight when they take on defending premiers Rugby at No. 1 Oval.

The Cougars are none-from-three in this season's Twenty20 competition but did suffer a heartbreaking final ball loss in their first game against the Cricketer's Arm Journeymen.

While their short-form play has yet to reap rewards the Cougars have found form in the longer form of the game and last week notched up their first one-day win of the summer, ironically against Rugby.

That win was set up by opening batsmen Ryan Medley and Stuart Naden and the pair of spinning all-rounders will again be key tonight.

Much like the Cougars last match, a loss to Christies' Crackerjacks, captain Ben O'Donnell will be unavailable meaning Naden will be the stand-in skipper.

The men in green will again field a side littered with many of the club's younger talents with the likes of Thomas Nelson, fresh from playing at the State Challenge this week, Will Graham, Josh Thompson , Brandan Dodd and Callan Braithwaite all expected to line up tonight.

Rugby, who have won two matches and lost one in the Megahit, have relied on the power hitting of Jordan Moran and Mitch Bower this season while this game will be a test as it is the first time they've played a Twenty20 without Ben Patterson.

Patterson's quick bowling with the new ball and powerful hitting late in the order was a real strength for Rugby, leaving the likes of Ben Taylor to now fill that role.

Rugby's fielding and bowling let them down in last Saturday's loss to the Cougars and they will be out to rectify that tonight.

But the batting will always be the strength of the defending champs and with Bower, Nathan Munro, Aidan Bennewith and Taylor in the line-up they are capable of destroying any bowling attack and will be aiming to do exactly that tonight.

The other point of interest in this match will again be how the new No. 1 Oval pitch plays with last weekend being the first time since November it had hosted a match.

Certain areas of the pitch, mainly areas just short of a length, provided the bowlers with some joy and tested batsmen regularly.

Tonight's match, which will also feature the Christies' Classic Catch prize of $100 for the first crowd member to catch a six, begins at 6.15pm.