Craig Britten, David Puls and Chris Hopper.

Long spells in the unrelenting heat, at times for no reward, can be demoralising.

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Not that these bowlers have to worry about that happening too often.

Here are the Horsham Cricket Association's top 10 highest wicket-takers of the 2009-10 to 2019-20 decade.

Homers' Chris Hopper bowls in 2014.

1 - CHRIS HOPPER

(Homers)

WICKETS: 258

OVERS: 1297.3

AVERAGE: 12.642

STRIKE RATE: 30.12

BEST FIGURES: 7-58

FIVE-WICKET HAULS: 13

Hopper finds revenge after brother Simon bested him in the batting department. A lowly average cements his status as a wicket-taking spinner.

Homers' Simon Hopper bowls in 2015.

2 - SIMON HOPPER

(Homers)

WICKETS: 245

OVERS: 1470.2

AVERAGE: 17.41

STRIKE RATE: 37.35

BEST FIGURES: 7-65

FIVE-WICKET HAULS: 7

Hopper is lucky his teammate Craig Britten went wicketless at the weekend, or his place would have been under threat.

Homers' Craig Britten prepares to steam in in 2015.

3 - CRAIG BRITTEN

(Homers/Colts)

WICKETS: 244

OVERS: 1491.6

AVERAGE: 21.88

STRIKE RATE: 39.84

BEST FIGURES: 8-19

FIVE-WICKET HAULS: 10

Britten already has a whopping 23 wickets to his name this season and should form continue he could top the list come the new season.

Jung Tigers' David Puls follows through in 2013. Picture: SAMANTHA CAMARRI

4 - DAVID PULS

(Jung Tigers)

WICKETS: 232

OVERS: 1337

AVERAGE: 17.06

STRIKE RATE: 36.53

BEST FIGURES: 9-24

FIVE-WICKET HAULS: 8

Jung Tigers' ever-reliable quick has teammate Cameron Sudholz to thank for ruining a perfect innings. Puls' nine-wicket haul remains the envy of bowlers competition-wide.

SEE HOW THE RACE UNFOLDED

5 - CLINTON MIDGLEY

(Rup-Minyip)

WICKETS: 220

OVERS: 1229.4

AVERAGE: 18.09

STRIKE RATE: 33.54

BEST FIGURES: 6-49

FIVE-WICKET HAULS: 10

Midgley has worked his way to being one of Rup-Minyip's highest wicket-takers, challenging his opponents with consistency. A double hat-trick in 2017 remains a highlight.

Homers' Jarred Combe returns to the top of his mark.

6 - JARRED COMBE

(Homers/Noradjuha-Toolondo)

WICKETS: 175

OVERS: 872.8

AVERAGE: 12.29

STRIKE RATE: 27.94

BEST FIGURES: 6-41

FIVE-WICKET HAULS: 9

Combe had a stellar 2018-19, claiming 30 wickets at average of 9.21, to continue a strong recent run with the ball. The medium-pacer has finished with more than 20 wickets to his name the past four seasons.

Rup-Minyip's Ryan Metelmann gathers the ball.

7 - RYAN METELMANN

(Rup-Minyip)

WICKETS: 160

OVERS: 984.5

AVERAGE: 19.23

STRIKE RATE: 36.93

BEST FIGURES: 5-34

FIVE-WICKET HAULS: 1

Rup-Minyip's enforcer continues Rup-Minyip's dominance in the top 10 wicket-takers list. Metelmann finished with more than 20 wickets to his name in four seasons, before leaving the association.

Horsham Saints' Matthew Combe throws from the boundary.

8 - MATTHEW COMBE

(Horsham Saints/Noradjuha-Toolondo)

WICKETS: 151

OVERS: 881.2

AVERAGE: 16.41

STRIKE RATE: 35.095

BEST FIGURES: 6-30

FIVE-WICKET HAULS: 5

A force with both bat and ball, Combe's wicket-taking ability saw him earn Vic Country selection in 2016, before he moved to ply his trade in Bendigo.