DAVE: G’day boys, I’m back after a few days away with the CCCA Country Week team and what a great experience that was. Making the grand final was a great achievement but a slow start with the bat meant they were playing catch-up from the get go. Marcus, kick us off with your best action from the weekend.
MARCUS: My best action took place at the Narre South v Springvale South game: a one-day game because the conditions weren’t safe on Saturday. Narre South had Springvale South 9/160-odd, chasing 212, and it looked completely out of reach for the Bloods. But Paul Hill refused to concede defeat and he put on a one-man show, with Josh Dowling by his side. He hit 44, including a few massive sixes to the leg side, and got Springvale South to within six runs. The best individual action was when he got down on one knee for a slog sweep and hit the flattest six you’ve ever seen. It pinged off the bat and hit the fence on the full; people were looking around as if to say “did he just do that?”
DAVE: Marcus, tell us about what happened with the pitch. It was a beautiful end to last week but the pitch at Narre South wasn’t ready on Saturday?
MARCUS: I don’t know how much can be on the record here! It came to light that the Narre South curator was watering the wicket on Thursday night and it didn’t get a chance to dry. Springvale South was not happy, whatsoever, but apparently watering on a Thursday night is standard practice for the curator…but it just didn’t get a chance to dry. The pitch was soft, but there was nothing soft about the barbs being thrown back and forth…it got a bit heated. It was about 2.30pm when they decided to come back on Sunday and play a one-dayer in the pyjamas.
DAVE: Jonty…hit me with your best action young man!
JONTY: Hasindu Waduge takes my best action comfortably this week, after a remarkable innings for Fountain Gate at Marriott Waters Reserve, Lynbrook’s home ground, which is known as being bowler friendly. Although, having said that, the two best batting innings I’ve seen this season have both been at that ground. Hasindu looked like he was playing on a different pitch, batting at a 150-plus strike-rate; when the rest of the match was played at a run-rate of 2.78, which speaks to how far he was above the rest of the pack. Best action; he was on 99 and hit a six over long-on, who was stationed on the boundary, when he knew he was on 99. He swung from the heavens for the last 15 minutes and was dismissed for 106; an outstanding innings and one that will live long in the memories of the Fountain Gate Cricket Club. And second best action goes to Cranbourne’s Jamie Love, who took a Travis Head-type catch from the World Cup, when he ran back and took it one handed…exactly like that. It was late on day one and was an important catch for Cranbourne.
DAVE: I went and watched the battle for relegation in CCCA Premier Division between Carlisle Park and Clyde. There was a fielder for Carlisle Park who just didn’t look interested chasing the ball, but put a ball in the hand of Jaan Balasuriya and he comes to life. I was speaking to Alex Nooy last week after his double century and he explained how he got ‘nutted’ on the shoulder by a quicker one from Jaan. Well, it happened again this week, this time to Brett Reid from Clyde on Saturday. Balasuriya bowls within himself and then unleashes this short ball that flies through about five yards quicker and nuts Reid on the helmet. Reid was okay…but I’m giving it my best action because you don’t see too many bowlers have an intimidating bouncer these days. I liked it!
LEADERSHIP
DAVE: Jonty, last week I had the pleasure of spending time with some of the great leaders of CCCA cricket. Off-field, you had Phil Anning driving this thing from day one, leading by setting standards, along with Jason Williams, who did likewise during the week. Then you had Dale Tormey and Chris Bright leading the tactical side of things; then you had the blokes who led through their deeds…Luke McMaster and Lucas Ligt…both captains of their respective clubs. It got me thinking about leadership and the different types of leaders out there. Jonty, what sort of leader would you be, and what sort of leader would you respond best to?
JONTY: I like leaders who see sportspeople as people before the sport. I think that’s really important and people who invest that time off the field get the rewards from their players. Obviously tactics are important in leadership, but I think it’s a relationships-game more than ever, even in workplaces over the last decade; not just sport. To give some examples from my competitions; I think Riley Siwes from Dandenong West is one that is heavily invested in his teammates and wants to see them succeed. Every time I watch him play I think I would love to go out to battle with him. Sithara Perera is a former Tasmanian Premier Cricketer, plays for Lynbrook and passes on his knowledge better than most, and Shalika Karunanayake and Ted Sampath, they’ve both come in to new clubs and changed the way they’ve gone about it, which has seen both teams rise this season.
DAVE: Comprehensive as usual Jonty. Marcus, have you had leadership experience?
JONTY: I was school captain in year six!
DAVE: Is your name Marcus?
JONTY: No.
MARCUS: Jonty did you notice Dave looked me in the eye and asked me the question…not you?
JONTY: Yes, sorry, I interrupted again…go on.
MARCUS: I did captain my reserves footy team in junior footy…but it didn’t end too well (slight giggle).
DAVE: Hang on, hang on…what do you mean by that?
MARCUS: We qualified for the grand final in Under-14s and had the week off because we qualified first, and during the week off I thought it would be a good idea to skateboard down Dandenong Road without a helmet on…and got cleaned up by a car. I couldn’t play in the grand final.
DAVE: That’s not really setting standards, but how hurt were you?
JONTY: Yeah, how come I didn’t know you’ve been hit by a car?
MARCUS: Somehow I only fractured my eye-socket, but had a nasty concussion and that ruled me out. Back to the topic; I don’t think I’d be a leader by example because my cricket skills are pretty awful these days, but I always prided myself on trying to influence games in other ways; voice, tactics, helping other guys out; a bit like what Jonty was talking about really. I would respond better to leaders who show; not do. As far as leaders in Turf 1 go, I was lucky enough to be in Narre South’s rooms after an emotional win over Springvale South on Sunday, and Kyle Hardy made an incredible speech about how his side will not be bullied by Springvale South. Kyle is working night-shift at the moment as a police officer, which is far from ideal when you’re playing a Saturday-Sunday game of cricket, and he took 5/51 with his medium pacers. That’s a true sign of leadership.
DAVE: I played under some great leaders when I was younger, and you definitely take some of those traits into your own leadership style. I think a lot of it depends on where your team is situated in regards to experience, or a lack there of…it can’t be one size fits all. It’s no coincidence that Kooweerup has won eight flags in 14 years when you look at leaders like Matt Davey, Shane Dole, Chris O’Hara, Michael Giles, Chris Bright and now Luke McMaster, that’s a pretty elite group that can all back up their words with actions. It’s a fascinating topic and one I’d love to investigate further.
REPLENISHING
DAVE: Boys, Annabel Sutherland made a double-century on the weekend….
JONTY: (Interrupting again)…and took wickets as well.
DAVE: Thanks Jonty for that update. The point I was about to make is the Australian Women’s cricket team is replenishing again, with Sutherland 22, Phoebe Litchfield and Darcie Brown 20. Just when the other countries thought we’ve finally seen the best of Healy, Perry, Mooney, those types, these young players come along and they’re going to be around for a decade. Marcus, is it just fortune or are they the best at replenishing their stocks? And are there clubs that you cover that do it better than others? And hurry up before Jonty jumps in!
MARCUS: At the international level, you get out what you put in, essentially. Cricket Australia has made a heavy focus on that, which is not to take away from how good these girls are. Having the WBBL as the premier T20 comp in the world and having the focus on building up women’s cricket is paying off big time now; getting reward for investment. The comparison I would say would be Geelong in the AFL; they missed finals last year for the second time in 20 years, something like that, which is quite incredible when you think about how many equalisation methods there are in the AFL. Their ability to stay at the top is second to none. Locally, in Turf 1, Buckley Ridges has always got a production line of players waiting in the wings, which can come in after not playing for a while and have an impact. Josh Holden is the best example of that; a massive hundred against Springvale South last round is an example. They’re the team that replenishes best in the DDCA I think.
JONTY: I also considered Geelong closely, but the way they do it is not by replenishing through young talent like the women’s cricket team, they do it their own way which is very effective as well. The comparison I thought of is the Dolphins…
DAVE: Frankston?
JONTY: No, don’t interrupt Dave…I’m talking about the Australian swimming team. We invest so much and so many resources into swimming, and we get return on investment all the time. There was a period where we didn’t perform too well at the Olympics, but there’s always someone that pops up and becomes a champion – like Ariarne Titmus. You can almost guarantee that there will be four or five household names that will come from the Paris Olympics later this year. In DDCA, HSD was a strong Turf 1 club for a little while and they’ve got a really young list, but they’ve always been thereabouts in Turf 2. Jett Kearney, Ryan Patterson, Brent Patterson and Anuda Akmeemana who are all performing really well – and the average age would be lowish twenties. Lynbrook actually has a rule that one junior has to play in every senior team that they field. That’s a great thing for the sustainability of the club; and Cranbourne, the football club, always seem to unearth young stars so obviously have a strong junior program as well.
DAVE: The Lynbrook one is interesting, because they’re investing in their future where other clubs are forced into replenishing. Pakenham had to replenish their bowling stocks with James Close, Marcus Martini and Jordan Seers because they’re bowling stocks were so low; their youngest three players are all bowlers. The Australian women’s team has a nice mix with those three; Litchfield an opening bat, Sutherland an all-rounder and Brown an opening bowler…you couldn’t ask for a better spread really.
MARCUS: Like Hawthorn getting Buddy, Roughead and Jordan Lewis in the one draft.
DAVE: Exactly…good point. Alright boys…
MARCUS: Before you sign off Dave, why has Jonty got typed-up notes this week for LTS? That’s unheard of and against the spirit of things.
JONTY: I couldn’t find a pen on my desk.
DAVE: Incredible, a journalist without a pen! I give up boys…I’ll see you both next week!
