By JARROD POTTER
WITH the freedom to go for his century last week, Dandenong middle-order batsman Cameron Forsyth paid back a lot of faith.
Forsyth, 21, from Aspendale Gardens, had played most of last season in the Panthers’ thirds’ team but received his promotion at the start of the season and has cashed a few important knocks already.
“It’s been a pretty big transition for me,” Forsyth said.
“I was in the threes most of last year… was a shock selection when I started in the ones this year.”
Paying back the selectors’ ambitious move to promote him to the first grade, Forsyth has made a pair of 40s and an impressive 70 against Essendon last year but the best from his bat came last weekend at Monash University’s cricket oval.
While the pressure was off last Saturday when Andrew Gale (100) and Forsyth (104 not out) erased a slender Hawthorn-Monash University lead.
“We didn’t really have any plans to get on it with – hit the bad ball and get in,” Forsyth said.
“Once we got near the target and passed it, it all became easier.”
Gale fell after reaching his century, leaving the target-setting duties to Forsyth and Jack Worrall and the pair ran hard to ensure the score would rapidly increase.
“Played with Jack for the last two or three years – played with him in the twos and had a really good partnership for the start of the year in the ones,” Forsyth said.
“We were 5/70 and we batted and got us over the line – in that innings we wanted to run the twos and threes really hard and we did that on the weekend as well.”
“As soon as I got to 90 I knew they’d try to get me there – it went from 80-90 really quickly.
“Once I got to 90 I was a massive chance.”
With a back-cut racing to the boundary, 96 turned into 100 and for Forsyth it was a moment he couldn’t particularly comprehend.
“I never really thought I’d get there but it was pretty happy and hard to take it all in and a bit surreal.
“It’s a good start to the year for Forsyth and he admits it hasn’t been a part of his usual cricket season openers thus far.
“It makes the season a lot easier to get off to a decent start – usually I have a pretty poor start, but did OK in the one dayers and thought I could play in the one dayers and felt a little bit more comfortable,” Forsyth said.
Forsyth wanted to thank another Premier Cricket century-making machine, his older brother Brett for helping him transition to first grade cricket.
“(Thanks) to my brother Brett for giving me a bit of extra help at training and progress a lot faster than everyone would’ve thought.” Forysth said.
