Tiger time: Richmond No. 4 Jonathan D’Rozario hits a patch of purple form

Richmond top-order player Jonathan D'Rozario credits his defence with his rapid rise up the Victorian Premier Cricket run charts this season. He’s hit three centuries and is hungry for more.

Tiger talent Jono D'Rozario. Pictures supplied

Before this season, Jonathan D’Rozario had not made a century in Victorian Premier Cricket.

Now he has three.

What had eluded him in his first 40 matches for Richmond has come as a triple treat in 2024-25, pushing him into the top rung of run-scorers.

D’Rozario, 23, has 615 runs for the season. Only Shobit Singh, Brett Forsyth and Justin Galeotti have more.

Singh and Forsyth got a good look at D’Rozario last Saturday, when the Tiger No. 4 hit 135 before being run out against Dandenong at Shepley Oval.

It took in a 192-run partnership for the third wicket with Richmond’s overseas player Matt Montgomery, who made 101.

“I think it’s just about backing myself in,’’ D’Rozario said when asked about his purple form.

“Last season was my first full season of playing in the first grade and I got a feel for what the level was like.

Richmond’s Jonathan D'Rozario opened his season with a century against Kingston-Hawthorn.

“I’m just playing with a little bit more confidence now. That’s good to have.’’

It came rushing to him in Round 1, when he opened his season with a knock of 103 in a one-dayer against Kingston Hawthorn. Three rounds later he steered the Tigers to a red-ball run-chase victory over Casey South Melbourne, crafting 102 not out.

The century against Dandenong helped his team to a declaration total of 6-326. Forsyth, Singh and company will try to top it this Saturday.

D’Rozario said defence had been the foundation of his batting this season. It was a focus of his lead-in to 2024-25.

“If I can defend really well, I’ll back myself to score out of it,’’ he said. “Most of the time I was getting out trying to play a few too many shots. So a bit more patience and trusting in my defence are big things.’’

D’Rozario’s ton against Dandy came a couple of hundred metres from the ground and club where he spent much of his childhood.

His father, Shane, played for Buckley Ridges, at a standard high enough to win the coveted Wookey Medal in the Turf 1 section of the Dandenong District association.

Club stalwarts like Chris Rattle, Daniel Watson and Troy Aust threw many a ball to his son at Park Oval.

Jonathan D'Rozario set the table for his sparkling 2024-25 by hitting 452 runs last season.

Jonathon D’Rozario started in the juniors at Lynbrook and joined Buckley Ridges in the higher age groups.

At age 14 he played in a Turf 3 premiership with his father, the pair putting on 50 for the ninth wicket. Jonathan then grabbed five wickets with his leg-spin to clinch the grand final for the Bucks.

Although he was playing in the shadows of Shepley, Richmond moved in by inviting him to a “Tiger talent squad’’. He stayed at the club, forming a strong relationship with head coach Shannon Young.

D’Rozario was part of the Southern region representative teams, was selected in the Victorian Country Under 19s and served a classical Premier Cricket apprenticeship, playing a lot of matches in the lower grades and absorbing lessons from senior players.

He saw the process as “learning my trade’’. Satisfied with his progress, the Tigers gave him a debut in 2019-20.

A young Jonathan D’Rozario is carried off with a Turf 3 premiership cup.

Last season he gave a hint of what was to come with 452 runs at 34.77, including four half-centuries.

He’s still bowling spin too, as a “bit of an old-school leggie’’.

“I try to give it a rip and try to create chances,’’ he said. “I think it works well for our team, as a just-before-tea sort of option. When you’ve got a class spinner like Reiley (Mark) bowling at the other end and even someone like ‘Millsy’ (Sam Mills) toiling away and being economical, it’s easy for me to come on and be aggressive.’’

Young has seen – and overseen too – a “young pathway talent’’ ripen into a player “who now has total control and knowledge of his game’’.

“After a couple of break-out innings last season, Jono now produces week in, week out and has been a crucial part of our team success,’’ he said.

“His individual performances have been outstanding but more importantly every time he gets a big score it’s been part of a big partnership, which highlights his team-first attitude and flexibility to work through tempos to play a major role in getting us large team totals.’’

Young said D’Rozario always had potential and was now turning it into performance.

He believes his charge has put his name in the frame for higher honours.

“He’s batting as well and producing performances as good as anyone in my time at Richmond,’’ Young said.

Jonathan D'Rozario (front row, second from the right in white hat) with his Southern Pioneers teammates after winning a Cricket Victoria Pathways program tournament.

“It’s an interesting one,’’ D’Rozario responded to talk of the next step.

“I’m good mates with a few guys who have gone on to play at higher levels. I think it’s a case of trying to be the best cricketer I can be and whatever opportunity comes, whether that be at Richmond on a Saturday or something else, they will come naturally.

“Mostly the focus is on trying to win a First XI flag at Richmond and what’s my part and what’s my role in that.’’

Cricket is work and play for D’Rozario; he coaches with Young at his Moorabbin cricket centre.

It’s called Young Gun, which is also a fair description for the Richmond No. 4.

Originally published as Tiger time: Richmond No. 4 Jonathan D’Rozario hits a patch of purple form