James Nanopoulos claims 400th Vic Premier Cricket scalp

James Nanopoulos started his Victorian Premier Cricket career as an opening bat, but by the time he finishes he will be one of the competitions best every bowlers. Here’s how.

From seeing off the new ball, to being a menace with it.

After collecting his 400th Victorian Premier Cricket First XI scalp on Saturday, James Nanopoulos can remember the moment he was asked to alter his role from an opening bat who was handy with the ball, to a scrupulous opening bowler.

“I always bowled in the juniors but when I came to Dandenong there was plenty of bowling, so it was my batting that got me there,” he recalled.

“I made a few hundreds in the seconds and that’s how I got into First XI cricket, I think I got 190 against South (Melbourne) in the seconds and the only spot in the ones was to be an opening bat, so I took it.

“Then one year when Dan Doran was captain, he said he was going to open the bowling with me with the white ball to swing it around and then pretty much from that moment I haven’t really looked back.

“Before that I was more come on, do a little job, get a wicket here or there, but it was probably when I started opening the bowling I thought I had to do more than bowl handy overs.

“It gave me a bit more confidence, not being overly quick, to believe in my skill-set to actually getting batters out, rather than bowling it and hoping they get out.”

James Nanopoulos in his early opening batting days.

Nanopoulos’ 400th wicket – that of Test batter Marcus Harris – returned in quick time since his 300th just 51 matches ago, before his move from Dandenong to Frankston Peninsula.

According to the modest seamer, that consistent flow of wickets since his last milestone comes down to his meticulous knowledge of his own game.

“I think knowing my game and knowing what I am doing, working batters out and what their strengths are and bowling to what they don’t want is a plan I try to do,” he said.

“Being as consistent as I possibly can as well, I try not to be too inpatient, I just try and really work on beating their defences.

“These days it’s a lot about attack, attack, but I just try to target their defences as much as possible and see if I can outlast them to get one through.”

By reaching the milestone, Nanopoulos has joined 13 other cricketers to have notched 400 wickets and 4500 runs.

And while he isn’t calling stumps any time soon, he doesn’t see himself entering the 500 club.

“If I get to 500 I have done pretty well … I think that might be a bit of a stretch,” he said.

VPC PLAYERS TO MAKE 4500 RUNS AND TAKE 400 WICKETS

J. Ryder: 12,677 runs – 612 wickets

J. Keating: 7838 runs – 636 wickets

A. Liddicut: 6779 runs – 544 wickets

F. Laver: 5662 runs – 527 wickets

J. Miller: 5273 runs – 495 wickets

N. Blundell: 4552 runs – 495 wickets

A. Hartkopf: 5419 runs – 484 wickets

W. Armstrong: 9395 runs – 467 wickets

S. Graf: 5091 runs – 434 wickets

W. Murray: 5372 runs – 431 wickets

D. Emerson: 7164 runs – 425 wickets

G. Meikle: 6370 runs – 409 wickets

T. Welsford: 5293 runs – 406 wickets

J .Nanopoulos: 4804 runs – 401 wickets