AW Green Shield 2021/22: St George’s Sam Konstas stellar season

One of the most prodigious talents in NSW’s elite junior cricket circles, 16-year-old Sam Konstas, has entered rarefied air through his spectacular form in the prestigious AW Green Shield.

One of the most prodigious talents in NSW’s elite junior cricket circles, 16-year-old Sam Konstas, has entered rarefied air through his spectacular form in the prestigious AW Green Shield.

For the second successive summer the St George captain and opening batter is the competition’s leading run scorer after the regular rounds, compiling an imposing 565 runs at an average of 113 across seven innings, including two centuries and four half centuries.

Sam Konstas has had arguably the most dominant AW Green Shield season in recent times. Picture: Jeremy Ng

The individual run tally is the highest number of runs scored during the competition’s regular rounds since, at the very least, the 2004/05 season when scores began being recorded by MyCricket.

When Konstas leads his undefeated St George team onto the field for a knockout quarterfinal match against Penrith on Sunday, the teenager will equal the highest number of appearances for any player since 2004 with 30 AW Green Shield matches.

If he scores 43 runs across the finals campaign he will have scored the highest total runs in the AW Green Shield across the same period, going past Manly-Warringah’s Joel Davies 1055 runs.

Konstas is mentored by Shane Watson.

Konstas in action at Hurstville Oval. Pictures: Jeremy Ng

St George District Cricket Club first grade and AW Green Shield coach Peter Jackson said Konstas’ run of form hadn’t come overnight, with the young cricketer a fixture at Hurstville Oval with his twin brother Johnny since the age of 12 as well as being mentored by a string of leading junior coaches.

“ (Konstas) is very composed at the crease,” he said. “As a captain he reads the game well and, as far as his strokeplay is concerned, he plays both sides of the wicket off the back foot and the front foot.

“He is just a very good player for his age. Looking at him and comparing him to some of our older players in the club, he is mature beyond his years.”

When asked what had contributed to Konstas’ consistency across the current AW Green Shield season, Jackson credited the opening batter’s love for the game and desire to improve.

The 16-year-old has been part of the Cricket NSW pathways system for a number of years.

Cricket NSW pathways manager Nic Bills, speaking before Konstas’ appearance at the under 17 State Challenge elite competition from Tuesday, recalled the moment when he realised the potential of the Hurstville teenager after he was selected for a NSW team to contest the under-15 national championships.

“The coach was putting the dates of birth of the squad into the program and when it came to Sam, thought there had been a mistake with his birthday,” Bills said.

“So he called up his mum and said I just want to double check Sam’s date of birth, I think you’ve got the wrong year as he is down as a 13-year-old. His mum said ‘no, that’s his age’ and so there was four of us sitting around the office thinking wow.

“He was certainly well and truly capable of playing at that level of competition and he has gone on to bigger and better things.”

Last week, the Cranbrook School student spoke about how a clear mind has contributed to his recent batting performances.

“I try to focus on a routine such as breathing when batting which resets me after every ball,” he said. “As a mindset perspective, I always like to have intent and put pressure on the opposition.”

AW Green Shield quarterfinals – Sunday, January 23

St George v TBD

Northern District v TBD

Parramatta v Campbelltown-Camden

Gordon v Manly-Warringah