Cricket Far North: Through the Gates: 5 Spin kings of Far North
Possessing a premier spinner capable of blitzing the bails is a game changer. One by one, we take a look at the cunning spin kings of the Far North as they reveal their secrets to success >>>
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Mulgrave will rely on its premier spin wizard, William Robertson, to catapult its side to the CFN first grade premiership this post-season.
With 16 wickets and an impressive 3.39 economy rate per over, the experienced left-arm spinner remains a feared presence in the CFN competition.
With more than 20 years dedicated to Mulgrave Cricket Club, Robertson has become a stalwart, transitioning from a junior pace bowler to a spin maestro.
He took over 30 wickets across the 2020-21 season ripping through line-ups and will be an experienced threat as the finals fast approach.
Robertson said he was in under-14s when he decided to embrace spin bowling on the advice of the late Steve Argoon.
“It was a long slog,” he said.
“I would put time and effort in the backyard trying to land the ball in a bucket and perfect the flight, pace and movement around the crease.
“Dan Kendrick took me under his wing when I was playing my first couple of senior games and helped develop my craft.
“It took years. Kendrick used to say a spin bowler doesn’t develop until his mid-20s and that’s when they take on new characteristics and develop their game.”
Robertson persevered, honing his skills tirelessly. His mantra is consistency. Focusing on his stock delivery with only subtle variations in pace.
Robertson’s unwavering accuracy puts immense pressure on batsmen, often leading them to their downfall.
“I played a lot of grade cricket in Perth for the Rockingham Mandurah District Cricket Club,” Robertson said.
“I was able to develop my game and played against quality (Big Bash) cricketers like Josh Philippe and Lance Morris.
“I worked closely with left-arm orthodox spinner Craig Simmons who played Big Bash for the Adelaide Strikers. Getting his insight into how to deceive batsmen and his attitude towards cricket.”
Armed with new-found knowledge, he returned to the Cairns competition, elevating his game to new heights.
Robertson lists demon paceman Mitchell Johnson as one of his favourite player growing up while tailoring his bowling style, run-up and technique to Australian spinners Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon.
McCartney blitzing through CFN
Norths’ leg spinner Ben McCartney has built an enigmatic bowling strategy that has blitzed the Cricket Far North competition.
McCartney, 24, has racked up 12 wickets this season and is currently ranked fourth among wickets taken by spin bowlers in A-grade.
The Norths’ vice-captain formulates smart field strategies to pinch wickets while keeping an impressive 3.36 economy rate.
McCartney said strategies have changed in the 40-over format but has retained his fierce fundamentals.
“White ball cricket’s a different game altogether,” he said. “The role of a spinner is to take wickets and be aggressive, but with a more defensive field in mind.
“Wickets can still fall from a spread out field and taking catches on the boundary.
“It’s much different to traditional cricket with fielders tight, in and around the bat.”
The right-arm leg spinner’s best performance came in round three against Atherton, piercing through their middle order to claim 4-25 from seven overs.
Part of Norths’ 2023 premiership side, McCartney said he will adjust his game plan from bowling hard at the deck or allowing more flight depending on the pitch and batsmen at the crease.
He has also made an effort to pitch the ball at the stumps more this season.
“Players like (Australian and Melbourne Renegades leg spinner) Adam Zampa in the T20s makes the batsman have to play,” McCartney said.
“With my variations like a wrong’un or slider I try to get an lbw with a more bold approach.
“More recently I’ve been trying to vary my pace, but it’s more difficult to control as a leg spinner.”
McCartney said playing under experienced CFN personnel Justin Reid, Angus Warnock and Jake Roach has developed his game.
He said Australian cricket legend Shane Warne was a huge inspiration growing up, while Mitchell Swepson, Imran Tahir and Tanveer Sangha have been players he has admired recently.
Premiership player, premier spin
Cricket Far North premiership player Mark Ellis is a man to be feared at the crease.
The Australian indoor cricket over 35s representative has missed a sizeable chunk of the CFN season suiting up in the green and gold.
However, now that he’s back for Norths, the lethal leg-spinner is ready to replicate his impeccable form from last summer, when he was the only spinner to finish in the top five of the leading wicket takers list with 19,
claiming one five-wicket haul and two four-wicket hauls.
Ellis said his ability to take wickets from limited overs has developed with experience, detailing some of his techniques.
“I’ve been playing first-grade cricket for a long time and I’ve worked out a game plan for my strengths and got to know what the opposition are trying to do,” Ellis said.
“As a spinner I’m supposed to lure the batsman into trying to slog me and that’s how I deceive and beat them.
“I’ve found being economical first, getting the line and length right and growing my confidence gives me a base to become ultra aggressive and target the wicket.
Norths leg-spinner said he has an overspinner, topspinner and slider all in his arsenal but believes variation off the wicket can be the biggest weapon.
He said it is a difficult challenge to find the balance of challenging the batsmen wicket and bowling economical.
“It’s a ball by ball approach in the shorter formats, but everything is happening so quick it can be a very hard art,” he said.
“From time to time I’m trying to spin it really hard and I’ll over pitch or drop the ball short, it’s just the nature of the beast of being a spinner.
“With two different batsmen (and their) styles, I’m trying to analyse everything and find if it requires me to try for a wicket or build pressure through dot balls and remaining economical.”
Ellis said an Australian cricketing icon was a huge influence.
“The king (was my biggest influence),” he said.
“Ever since I was seven and first saw Shane Warne on TV, I went straight to the backyard like all youngsters started trying to bowl like him.
“I’ve never changed, I’ve always tried to bowl like him and he was my hero.
Ellis said indoor cricket has given him a smooth transition to T20 cricket.
“Indoor cricket helped me tremendously, it’s such a fast-paced game and I’ve got to be pretty sharp bowling and fielding,” he said.
McGrath’s mounting momentum
Mulgrave’s Ryan McGrath has quickly become one of the most dangerous bowlers in the Far North.
McGrath, 24, was dominating the second grade competition, with a season-high 5-25 against Mulgrave Punjabi in round seven, before being elevated into the first grade side in round eight.
He had a stellar debut against Rovers in round eight snatching three wickets, breaking through their high-quality middle order, dismissing Bobby Brix, Brenton Edwards and Joshua Chadwick in quick succession.
“The first game I played in first grade I was on a hat-trick at one stage which was pretty special,” McGrath said.
“I had a great spell all around and it was nice to impress in my first outing.”
He backed up his performance in round nine, taking a classy 4-25 against Atherton.
The lethal leg-spinner has proven he belongs with the very best in Far North, snatching 10 wickets in six matches to go along with his 22 wickets (most in second grade competition) in 10 matches.
Now he’s set to face off against Rovers again in a high-stakes top of the table clash at Griffiths Park this Saturday.
McGrath said his bowling game has evolved in a range of ways.
“I try to be as consistent as possible with the leggy,” McGrath said.
“I have a pretty solid wrong ‘un that I like to throw in quite often.
“It’s just about setting them up with a couple that drift away, and then the one that spins in hopefully catches them out, that’s my normal game plan.
“(Mulgrave spinner) Will Robertson has been a good bowler in Cairns for a long time now and his fearless, nice and calm approach is something I try and feed off.
A cricket fanatic, McGrath lists Shane Warne and Adam Zampa as his favourite spin bowlers in the international game.
“I loved Warney when he was playing as most do,”
“As a Melbourne Renegades fan, I like what Adam Zampa has been doing recently in the limited over games.
“I met him when he played the Shield game up here a few years ago, he gave me his boots after the game which was a pretty special moment.”
Boorman still has his rivals in a spin
Atherton skipper Thomas Boorman continues to be one of the premier spinners of Cricket Far North.
An experienced all-rounder, Boorman has taken 10 wickets, along with eight maidens in the first grade competition this season. He is also a player who is rarely hit around the park, boasting a 3.51 economy rate, one of the best in first grade.
Boorman said he only stumbled upon bowling spin in the later stages of his career.
“I came over from England as a bat-only player,” Boorman said. “I think we were short on bowlers one day. Dan Parnell threw me the ball, and I bowled four maidens in a row.
“I’m not a big turner of the ball, more of a dart bowler, but I try to change up my pace as a surprise and maintain an accurate line and length.
“I try to let the batsman make a mistake rather than force it.”
Boorman said he was at his most deadly when he was in a rhythm, with his change of pace giving Far North batsmen headaches for a number of seasons. He tends to bowl bullets down the wicket that are difficult to score off.
Then, he’ll deliver a slow delivery to catch the batsman off guard.
A cricket fanatic, Boorman admires former New Zealand captain Dan Vettori’s bowling style. “I’ve watched Daniel Vettori use the crease a lot in his bowling,” he said. “Going wider and changing the angle of release just as a variation.”
Boorman said the influence of Jono Boult and former Atherton teammate Michael Salerno also influenced his bowling. “I played with Northern Districts spinner Jono Boult, the older brother of New Zealand test international Trent Boult, during my time in New Zealand,” he said.
“He was a really clever slower bowler and always shared advice on his bowling. He used to bowl slow, wide ones, and we’d work on trying to get a delivery to loop and drop.”
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Originally published as Cricket Far North: Through the Gates: 5 Spin kings of Far North
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