Premier Cricket: Connor Rutland says his Carlton teammate should be getting looked at for state selection

Carlton all-rounder Connor Rutland has tipped praise on the Blues’ star leg-spinner, saying Saturday’s match winning spell was further proof he has what it takes at a higher level.

Michael Archer celebrates a wicket. Pictures: Cath Coady

A match winning spell from Michael Archer has prompted Carlton teammate Connor Rutland to plead the star leg-spinner’s case for higher honours.

Rutland and Archer led Carlton to another clutch win, combining for the last six wickets to restrict Prahran six runs short of victory.

The True Blues were 7-219 in pursuit of the Blues’ 232 before Archer and Rutland claimed the final three wickets for just eight runs.

Archer jagged two wickets in two balls to give Carlton a chance at its famous victory in last year’s grand final.

Rutland said Archer announced himself then and “definitely should be starting to be looked at” for state selection after starting this season strongly.

“He’s going from strength to strength, he showed his potential – especially in the grand final – and he’s taken it to the next level,” he said.

“A stint in the UK has clearly and evidently improved his game – he’s controlled, he rarely misses the spot and has a weapon of a wrong-un.

“He’s just going from strength to strength and is proving why he definitely should be starting to be looked at — you’d get a lot of guys who would agree with that.

“He’s 26, very, very impressive and to bowl about 30 sets in a row and not look fatigued is true testament to how hard he’s worked on his game.”

Archer has a "weapon of a wrong-un" according to Rutland. Picture: Cath Coady.

Rutland (3-40 off 9.5) took the final wicket but he was confident Prahran would have raced past the Blues much earlier if it wasn’t for Archer.

“I think it was the big difference in the game,” he said of Archer’s spell.

“He had 4-68 off 29 overs, he kept us in the hunt, allowed us to back end the game and get it to the situation we were in.

“Without that spell I think they (Prahran) would’ve chased the runs 15 overs earlier in the day, he effectively bowled 30 overs on the bounce – it kept us in it.”

The Blues, as they often do, escaped the jaws of defeat.

Rutland thinks Carlton’s confidence to win from any position grows each time it time it succeeds in those tight situations.

“It definitely helps that we’ve been in these situations before and we’re confident we can get the job done,” he said.

“I don’t think we do anything differently, it’s just having the belief in those situations.

“We could easily look at none or 1-100 and throw the towel in but I don’t think we do anything majorly different, we just trust that things are going to turn.

“Luckily on the weekend it fell in our favour, but being in those situations before and knowing we can win holds us in good stead.”

The Blues take on Fitzroy Doncaster this Saturday at Schramms Reserve.