Filling in fourth grade, a Gordon nightwatchman produces an incredible double ton for the ages
Called up to fourth grade cricket due to player unavailability, a Gordon bowler has produced one of the great nightwatchman knocks in grade cricket history to lift his team to victory.
Gordon’s Aaditya Pankajdavey is used to doing his damage with the ball in NSW Premier Cricket’s lower grades.
In three games this season he’d held the bat just twice, dismissed for one and failing to face a ball when coming in at 11 in fifth grade.
The 19-year-old was called up to fourth grade in round three with a number of players unavailable.
He certainly made the most of that opportunity in his preferred role with the ball, taking 3-33 from his 11 overs, with five maidens.
Still, Sydney was able to put a very handy score on the board, declaring at 8-306 to give them a couple of overs to nab a late wicket or two.
They succeeded in dismissing Matthew Fahy late in the day, forcing Gordon to go with Pankajdavey as nightwatchman to see off a few balls.
He did that, but what followed on the second day will go down in local cricket folklore.
A 36-run second-wicket partnership was backed up with a 124-run stand with Jayden Botfield, as Sydney’s bowlers couldn’t find an answer for Pankajdavey’s resistance.
Then the shoulders started to open as he scored an unlikely century, before really cutting loose, blasting 26 fours and five sixes on his way to an unbeaten 201 from 256 deliveries.
Gordon went on to claim first innings points on the back of their 6/384 score.
Gordon selector Ben Woods confirmed Pankajdavey’s innings was a record breaker for the club.
“He’d only scored somewhere in the order of 300 runs before this match, so to score two thirds in one hit is a pretty good effort,” Woods said.
“I left the fifth grade game to come and watch. It was a tough chase, particularly in the lower grades. To go on and chase over 300, it was made possible by an extraordinary batting display.
“In Gordon’s 120 plus year history, it’s the first time a double century has been scored in fourth grade.”
As for what’s ahead for the young man,
“When he came off the field, I joked to him ‘it’s a good effort, but expect to be back in fifth grade next week batting 11’,” he said.
“There’s every reason he should stay up the order and up in the grades. He’s in fourth grade at the moment due to a numbers issue, but he definitely won’t be dropped, even with a few players coming back.”
Originally published as Filling in fourth grade, a Gordon nightwatchman produces an incredible double ton for the ages
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