Northcote rising star Sam Harbinson emerges as all-round Premier Cricket prospect

NORTHCOTE has declared rising star Sam Harbinson has the potential to be one of Victoria’s top all-rounders.

Northcote cricketer Sam Harbinson has become one of Premier Cricket's top all-rounders this summer. Please meet him at the club's home ground, Bill Lawry Oval for some photos. Variety of set-up shots please.

NORTHCOTE could only hold Sam Harbinson back for so long.

The Dragons have closely managed the 20-year-old’s workload since he joined the club four years ago, trying to avoid overburdening one of their brightest talents.

Harbinson, who has been a late bloomer physically, bowled an average of eight overs a match last summer — his first full season of top-grade cricket.

In contrast, star Ringwood all-rounder Ian Holland (14 overs a game) delivered more overs than any other seam bowler in the ­competition.

Harbinson knew he also had more to offer with the bat heading into the 2015-16 campaign after being deployed in the top five only twice last season.

But he was again forced to wait for an opportunity, batting at No. 8 in four of the Dragons’ opening six ­matches.

“It was a tiny bit frustrating, batting low in the order last year,” Harbinson said.

“But it’s made me take the opportunity with both hands this year.

“I really wanted to make the most of the opportunity I was given. Looking back, it wasn’t the worst thing I don’t think.”

Then came the Macleod resident’s breakthrough game.

After top-order batsman Ben Abbatangelo was injured on the opening day of Northcote’s Round 6 clash with St Kilda, Harbinson was promoted to No. 3 in the order — ahead of Victorian star Marcus Stoinis.

As wickets tumbled around him at an alarming rate, Harbinson stood firm, compiling an unbeaten 43 from 139 balls.

It was a performance that belied his age and inexperience at First XI level.

“I was actually 50-50 whether I was going to play that game, I was really crook during the week,” Harbinson said.

“It was pretty lucky that I ended up playing that game and doing well.”

Northcote coach David Reid said Harbinson, an East Ivanhoe junior, had the potential to be one of Victoria’s top all-rounders.

“He’s a long-term prospect,” Reid said.

Sam Harbinson played junior cricket with East Ivanhoe. Picture: News Limited.

“We think he can become a premier all-rounder in Victorian cricket.

“But we’re really managing him carefully in terms of his bowling workload and batting opportunities.”

Harbinson followed up his first-innings effort against the Saints with a confidence-boosting 35 not out in the second dig and has not batted lower than No. 5 since.

“Now (he’s) in his second full season in the firsts, we thought it was the right time,” Reid said.

“He’d shown enough lower down the order, he’d come out and played some really handy innings for us.

“It was more of a gut feel.”

Harbinson has benefited from the responsibility that was thrust upon him when he spent the Australian winter playing cricket in Manchester with English club Marple.

“I’m feeling really comfortable with my game at the moment,” he said.

“Playing in England last winter helped a lot, getting away from home and maturing a bit as a person and a player.

“They started batting me at three the last half of the season.”

Sam Harbinson wants to become one of Premier Cricket’s best all-rounders. Picture: Adam Elwood.

Reid said Holland and Kingston-Hawthorn’s James Miller set the standard for budding all-rounders such as Harbinson to aspire to.

“Premier Cricket has got some unbelievable all-rounders, guys like James Miller and Ian Holland,” he said.

“They set a really high benchmark. (Sam) is working toward becoming something like that but I don’t think he’s established himself yet. I reckon that’s the challenge.”

Harbinson is not afraid to dream big, setting himself a goal to feature in Victoria’s Futures League team before the end of the year.

“It would be awesome if one day I could be one of the best all-rounders in Premier Cricket,” he said.

“But there’s a lot of hard work still to be done to get to that next level.”

Harbinson has captured 18 wickets and made 304 runs at an average of 38 this season, marking himself as one of the competition’s hottest prospects.

“Who knows where he will end up, but we certainly think he’s got the potential to be one of the best all-rounders in the state,” Reid said.

Harbinson said the support of his long-time mentor Peter Benson had been crucial to his emergence.

Northcote (157) was beaten by two wickets against Fitzroy-Doncaster on Saturday (8-161).

The seventh-placed Dragons host Prahran in Round 14, which starts this ­weekend.