Sydney Shires Cricket: Top 10 batsmen at halfway point
Sydney Shires Cricket will restart this weekend after an extended break. Here’s our top 10 batsmen so far this season.
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Sydney Shires Cricket took a small break before Christmas due to the current coronavirus situation in NSW, but will return with a bang this weekend for the start of two-day games.
As the pace of play slows down in the New Year, let’s take a look at the 10 batsmen who performed best in the shorter form of the game this season.
10. HENRY W CHAPMAN (LINDFIELD)
Stats: 7 Innings for 222 Runs. HS: 99 AVG: 44.40
Chapman just scraped into our top 10 for this list, thanks in large part to a near century against Warringah in November.
He started the season with three single-digit scores before breaking through for his first half century against Pennant Hills in round four (56).
His round five performance has him on this list, as he whacked an impressive 99 against Warringah before being cruelly run out.
He slowed down a little before the break, but two scores of 20 and 28 are nothing to sneeze at.
9. AHSAN UL-HAQ (NORTH WEST SYDNEY)
Stats: 6 Innings for 251 Runs. HS: 70 AVG: 41.83
North West Sydney hasn’t had the best start to its 2020/21 season, but top-order batsman Ahsan ul-Haq has proven himself to be a steady bat.
Despite a slow start to the season that saw only 22 runs through his first two innings, ul-Haq has become quietly consistent since that time, notching three 50s in his last four innings.
His high score of 70 came against Auburn in round four, and twin scores of 68 and 60 against Pennant Hills and Lane Cove before the break has his average heading in the right direction.
Ul-Haq should be much higher on this list at the end of the season.
8. PAUL DONOVAN (STRATHFIELD)
Stats: 5 Innings for 227 Runs. HS: 75 AVG: 45.40
Paul Donovan was widely tipped by clubs to be the top scorer this season in our season preview, but he’s ‘suffered’ through a slowish start to the season, if three 50s can be called ‘suffering’.
He’s only played five innings so far this season, and has never scored less than 18.
His high score of 75 came against Balmain South Sydney in round four, which was sandwiched by a 65 against Georges River and a 50 against Roseville.
His average, and place on this list, should go up as he gets into the longer format of the game.
7. BEN VELLA (GEORGES RIVER)
Stats: 6 Innings for 240 Runs, HS 82 AVG 48.00
Georges River is another club going through a bumpy start to the season, but it’s not for lack of trying from middle-order batsman Ben Vella.
Vella’s season started with a bang, scoring 72 against North West Sydney before scores of 44 and 40 over the next two weeks.
He then went through a lean spell, scoring just one against Auburn and Lane Cove in round five and six.
However, he recorded his highest score of the season in round seven against Balmain South Sydney when he hit 82.
6. BRENTON J WRIGHT (BURWOOD)
Stats: 6 Innings for 245 Runs. HS: 104* AVG: 49.00
Brenton Wright may be the best all-round cricketer in the competition, but his bat comes up just short of our top five.
Burwood have cruised through the season so far with just one loss on the season, and Wright’s play has been a big part of that.
However, outside of a big 104 not out against Balmain South Sydney in round five, Wright has failed to crack 50 in any other innings.
He has three scores in the 30s, one score in the 20s, and his low score of 13 came against Auburn in round one.
5. NICK D GOVERS (BURWOOD)
Stats: 4 Innings for 169 Runs. HS: 122 AVG: 56.33
Nick has only batted four times since his first match in round four, but his big century against Balmain South Sydney in round five is enough to vault him into the top five of this list.
He also scored a solid 46 against Warringah in round seven, but will be searching for consistency after scores of 0 and 1 in his two other innings.
Another man who was tipped to be a high-scorer in our season preview, Govers should benefit from the more measured batting in the long-form of the game.
4. DAMIAN NAUGHTON (LANE COVE)
Stats: 5 Innings for 252 Runs. HS: 74 AVG: 50.40
Lane Cove’s long-time captain Damian Naughton is building another solid Sydney Shires season, averaging more than 50 as we turn the calendar to 2021.
He’s been the picture of consistency, with two scores in the 70s, one in the 40s, one in the 30s, and one in the 20s.
His high score was first-up against Lindfield (74), while his low score came in his next innings against Epping (24).
He scored 71 against Georges River before the break, and should continue his consistent season in the New Year.
3. AKSHAY NICHKAWDE (EPPING)
Stats: 4 Innings for 222 Runs. HS: 74 AVG: 74.00
Akshay Nichkawde started the season in second grade for Epping, but was called up in round four and responded with three straight 50s.
His best score was his first score, a 74 against Roseville. He followed that with a 69 against Pennant Hills and a 53 against Burwood.
A 26 against Mt Pritchard-Southern Districts before the break broke his streak of 50s, but Nichkawde has certainly cemented his spot in Epping’s first-grade team.
2. AARKA SAHA (WARRINGAH)
Stats: 5 Innings for 304 Runs. HS: 100* AVG: 76.00
Aarka Saha is another man who started the season in second grade before getting the call-up to first grade in round three.
He started with a bang, scoring an unbeaten 100 against Pennant Hills and taking three catches as a wicketkeeper.
After two lower scores, Saha will carry momentum into the New Year after scores of 76 and 83 in the last two games before the break.
1. COSIKAN BEADLE (MT PRITCHARD-SOUTHERN DISTRICTS)
Stats: 4 Innings for 365 Runs. HS: 118* AVG: 182.50
The easiest spot on the list to determine, Cosikan Beadle has been in a rich vein of form this season.
Mt Pritchard-Southern Districts didn’t play until round four for various reasons, but Beadle didn’t waste any time with an unbeaten 118 against heavyweights Burwood.
He followed that up with another century against North West Sydney, before an unbeaten 88 against Lindfield.
Epping finally managed to dismiss Beadle for the first time in round seven, but not before the opener had amassed another 59 runs.
His average probably won’t stay that high for the rest of the season, but it would take a big effort from another batsmen to supplant him from this spot.
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