Subbies cricket: Ricky Damiano blasts off for Brighton
The Tonners captain hit his 16th century in Sub-District cricket to lead his team to victory over Ormond.
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It was his 16th century in Sub-District cricket, and it had to be one of his best.
If that is open to opinion, it can be said with certainty that Brighton captain Ricky Damiano has never gone into three figures with more style than he did on Saturday against Ormond at the Brighton Beach Oval.
The right-hander lifted a ball over cover for six, an inside-out shot that split two fielders on the fence.
It was a dazzling stroke. It had been a dazzling innings — he finished with 112 off 105 balls, with 14 fours in addition to the six — and the Brighton supporters watching from the balcony gave him warm applause.
Club president Bernard Mutimer had a roomful of guests for his annual lunch.
As they cleared their plates they kept one eye on as Damiano as he built his score in partnership with Marcus Glenister.
There were shots all over the ground: the conventional – cover drives, cuts, pulls, clips through mid-wicket – and the unorthodox – reverse sweeps that brought boundaries.
Damiano chose to bat after winning the toss, and his second century of the season lifted the Tonners to 7-244 off their 45 overs.
Ormond was all out for 174 off 38.2 overs in its reply.
At one stage Brighton could imagine a total beyond 280, but the Monders fought back in the late overs, despite their bowling being weaker for the absence of injured pair Blade Baxter (broken fingers) and Nick Oaten (back).
An injury to Murray Ring (ankle) didn’t help. He could bowl only 5.1 overs.
Damiano and Brenton Murphy (run out for 26 by a direct-hit from mid-off at the nonstriker’s end) put on 71 for the first wicket, and the skipper and No 4 Glenister (48 off 73) ran up a century stand after John Damiano (hamstring) was forced to retire hurt on two.
From there batsmen came and went like the traffic on Beach Rd as they overdid the aggression.
Damiano is now only three centuries shy of the great Val Holten’s record of 19.
Given the way he’s opened 2019-20 – with scores of 47, 144 and now 112 – he might even given it a nudge this season.
“He’s an unbelievable batsman, so hard to bowl to, so good on either side of the wicket, and he knows that ground inside out,’’ Monders captain James Wild said of Damiano.
Ormond fell 70 short, its lower-order rallying after it had been 5-78.
Brighton quickie Cal Rayner (2-13 off seven overs) set the Monders on their heels by having Luke Rainone (0) snapped up at slip and No 3 Lee Weiss (9) caught by Damiano.
Opener Ben Speake (33) top scored and down the list James Bartholomeusz (22), Brendan Barry (22) and Will Robertshaw (30) showed fight.
Luke Shimmin (3-13 off 7.2 overs) could count the wickets of Speake and Wild in his haul.
* At the lunch Brighton president Mutimer installed Bayside councillor James Long as joint club patron with the Honourable William Gillard, the former Supreme Court judge.
Brighton MP James Newbury also attended.