Eastern Cricket Association: Nathan Boucher leads Glen Iris to victory over East Doncaster

Nathan Boucher is a batsman full of runs. And he should take himself off to Victorian Premier Cricket, according to a former Fitzroy-Doncaster champion.

Nathan Boucher batting for Glen Iris.

Fitzroy-Doncaster great Peter Dickson has a message for Nathan Boucher: have a crack at Victorian Premier Cricket.

Boucher plays for Coburg in the VFL but in the past 12 months he’s scored a lot of runs for Glen Iris in the strong Eastern Cricket Association.

On Sunday he cracked 87 against Dickon’s East Doncaster, lifting his tally of runs this season in Dunstan Shield to 289 at an average of 59.80.

It includes an innings of 110 against Marcellin.

Nathan Boucher takes a kick for Coburg last year. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Last season, in the second grade, Wright Shield, he hit 580 runs at 58.

Glen Iris raised 6-228 off its 40 overs and restricted East Donny to 206.

Dickson was impressed with Boucher, saying he could and should play Premier Firsts.

“I think he could bat at No 5 or 6 in most sides,’’ Dickson, who made more than 10,000 runs in Premier Cricket, said.

“He’s a pretty good player, there’s no doubt about that, and he could be a pretty good Premier cricketer.

“He hits the ball hard, he hits the gaps, he’s very busy between the wickets. He’s got a lot of energy with the way he plays.

“As soon our bowlers got their lines slightly wrong – and this is Boucher’s great strength – he pounced on the bad ball, put it away for four. He’s a good square-of-the-wicket player and hits the bad ball.’’

Dickson added: “He looks like a kid who go straight into a Premier First XI team and from there you just never know. I’d like to see him go to cricket.’’

And, of course, he’d like to see him at the Lions!

Glen Iris’s victory put it fifth on the ladder with three wins, three losses and two draws.

East Doncaster, the reigning premier, is sixth with two wins.

Mont Albert bowler Greg Cull goes at Heathmont. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Mont Albert is on top after easing past the winless Heathmont, which was dismissed in its last over for 125.

The home team sped to 4-131 in 25.3 overs, led by Nathan McNally (40), Jack Joslin (44) and James Blair-Holt (21no).

Dylan Howard took 3-39 for the outclassed Heathmont.

North Balwyn, second on the ladder, lost seven wickets in running down Marcellin’s 160.

It was thankful for Inderpal Singh’s blistering half-century. He cracked 52 off 27 balls, with 3 sixes and 7 fours, all but taking his team over the line.

Heathmont batsman Zack Dent on the attack against Mont Albert. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Opener Callan Stewart crafted 53 off 74 balls for Marcellin.

Old Carey had a strong five-wicket win over Canterbury, which battled to 7-135 off the 40.

It battled back through Jack Greenwood (2-33) but in the end Larkey (34no) and Tad Merry (25no) took it to victory with an unbroken 48-run partnership.

In the Wright Shield, former Noble Park Sub-District champion Issy Perera grabbed 6-29 off eight overs for Deepdene Bears in a thrilling match against Edinburgh.

Edinburgh made only 127 as Perera cut through with his leggies, but it almost protected the thin total through coach Suraj Randiv, who took 5-18 off his eight overs.

English star Jack Taylor blitzed 83 off 73 balls (4 fours, 6 sixes) as Surrey Hills (6-197) thrashed Hawthorn (85).