CSB: Wade King speaks on his career-best innings and his ‘purple patch’

McKinnon captain Wade King is making his presence felt again, but Saturday’s six-stacked 154 might be his best innings yet. He discusses his recent form and his side’s expectations for the season.

Wade King. Picture: AAP/ Chris Eastman

McKinnon superstar Wade King says he is riding the wave of current form.

The all-rounder has followed up his Cricket Southern Bayside Division 1 MVP-winning 2023-24 season with a dazzling start to this summer.

King has 409 runs in six matches across all competitions but Saturday was the crème of the crop, as he belted 154 from just 99 deliveries against Carnegie.

King went nuclear after reaching his century in an already timely 82 balls, striking 54 from his next 17.

The McKinnon captain enjoyed a 607-run summer last season but said his batting was a focus this off season.

“I think I am in a bit of a purple patch and I have been saying to the boys that you have to ride the purple patches for as long as you can,” he said.

“I have been working on my batting in the off season and I always try to have no excuses to be firing.

“For me, working with the ball as an all-rounder, I am not going to get any quicker but you can always work on your batting which I have … I guess it’s paying off.”

Wade King. Picture: AAP/ Chris Eastman

King hit 13 fours and an impressive eight sixes, most of which came after he reached the century milestone.

He planned to launch once he went beyond triple figures but didn’t anticipate eclipsing his former high score in such quick time.

“I kind said to myself that when I get to triple figures I will pretty much go every ball,” he said.

“It was good to get a few out of the screws, a few went over the fence and we got to a good total.

“That is my highest score, previous to that is 150 in a two-day game.

“I never expected to be beating that in a one-day game, I guess when it’s your day, it’s your day.”

King’s innings took McKinnon to 6-294 before it held Carnegie to 9-282.

McKinnon has started the season undefeated and has lofty expectations for the rest of the year after its heartbreaking grand final defeat last season.

“Our expectations is to go one better than last year,” he said.

“Our eyes are on the prize, to win the big one, go all the way this year because we’ve definitely got the line up to do it.

“These upcoming weeks are going to be good for us, we’re going to be hitting it red-hot and hopefully showing the competition what we’re about.

“Losing that one hurt a fair bit to a fair few, I think if we had our time again we would stay a bit more composed, back our ability and have positive intent.

“I think we got in a bit of a groove of blocking it out and when you do that you’re going to have one with your name on it.

“I am trying to reinforce to the boys this season to bat with positive intent, we bat pretty deep so I don’t think too many sides are going to be knocking us over for a small total.”

McKinnon has lofty expectations for 2024-25. Picture: Valeriu Campan

An unbeaten century from Ryan McLean kept Dingley’s record unblemished.

McLean hit 11 fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 105 off 111 balls.

The Dingoes set Parkdale 5-197 and held it to 10-145 in reply.

Hampton, meanwhile, moved a win clear inside the top four after a comfortable victory over South Caulfield.

South Caulfield was 0-71 in the first innings but a steady stream of wickets restricted it to 9-179.

Opener Tegid Phillips (69no) and captain Michael FitzGerald (75no) guided the hosts to an eight-wicket win in the 34th over.

Calum Ravesi and Conway Gilbert took Parkdale United out of major trouble with a steadying hand against Aspendale.

The No.7 and No.9 walked to the middle at 5-30 and 7-39 respectively before combining for a match-saving 129-run stand.

Ravesi hit 68 from 94 balls while Gilbert finished unbeaten on 81 from just 77 balls.

Parkdale United eventually finished 8-192 and kept Aspendale to 9-155 in reply.

Gilbert followed up his superb innings with three-for with the ball.