It's been a long journey from George Town to Mowbray and longer to Lindisfarne for offspinner Jarrod Freeman.
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That sort of symbolism is not lost on the 19-year-old ahead of his return for the Cricket Tasmania Premier League side's vital encounter against the Greater Northern Raiders on Saturday.
The drive back up the road to Launceston from Hobart has added a 6000-kilometre flight this week via Perth.
Freeman's spirits remain high to continue the grudge match against several former Cricket North foes despite the West Australians thrashing Tasmania by an innings and 324 runs in their Cricket Australia second XI match.
The exercise to dismiss the Raiders not too far past their 5-214 will be Freeman's sixth day of cricket over eight days.
"It's something I've had to prep for - obviously it's a lot of cricket," Freeman said.
"I guess that's the whole lifestyle about being that professional cricketer in a way.
"There's a few of us doing it at the moment, but it's not too bad because we work for it all preseason to get yourself in good shape for the week."
The Tasmanian side that includes Lindisfarne teammates Charlie Wakim and Keegan Oates will fly out at 5am on Friday and arrive in the state around 1pm.
The late inclusion of Oates for the second week will strengthen the batting while the competition's runaway leading wicket-taker Nathan Ellis with 18 scalps at 10.11 can restrict their side's target.
Freeman is confident the unbeaten Lightning can still make it six wins on the trot.
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"We will just be backing ourselves to chase how ever many is set in whatever period of time there is," he said.
"Whatever the target is, we'll give it a red-hot crack."
The Raiders had wanted to lure Freeman back home, but the state-contracted talent resisted the urge, staying with the reigning premier.
But as the underdogs put a value on their wicket on the back of a second century this season from Brodie Hayes, Freeman could not help but watch and admire their fight.
"They played well on a pretty nice pitch," he said.
"They had the best of the conditions, to be honest. It's really good to see they're improving, but we just couldn't get them out on the day."
Freeman will resume from a tidy 2-32 off 28 overs.
Raiders coach Andrew Gower had been suitably impressed by his side's resolve and hopes it can continue.
"Every batter who batted showed the sort of application that we have been after," he said after play.
"I was rapt from a group point of the view that everyone showed real grit and put a value on their wicket."
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