Geelong lose two T20 matches and blood debutants Henry Melville and Arjun Sehrawat

Geelong gave two promising talents an opportunity on the big stage but the Cats were unable to keep their impressive run going. And a former big name Cat came back to haunt them.

Brody Couch in action for Geelong last season.

Geelong has suffered their first Premier Cricket losses of the season with the young Cats side unable to replicate their strong pre-Christmas form as a familiar face came back to haunt them.

In their first matches of the New Year, Geelong took on Carlton and Northcote in back-to-back T20 matches at Princes Park on Saturday, with low totals of 111 (chasing 132) against Carlton and 74 in their next game proved to be the Cats’ downfall.

It was former Cat Brody Couch who ripped through Geelong’s top-order in the second game, having moved to Northcote in the off-season.

The Melbourne Stars squad member claimed the first three wickets of the match and finished with 3-18.

Geelong director of cricket Travis Agg said it was difficult seeing his dominate against his former side but he said the door is always open for a Cats comeback.

He said it was disappointing to not get the job done for stalwart Hayden Butterworth against Carlton, with that clash being his 300th club game for Geelong.

Hayden Butterworth played his 300th game against Carlton.

“We know and always have known that Brody is an exceptional player, he got the better of us. It is hard to watch but it is not surprising because we know he is a good player,” Agg said.

“He got our top three out in the powerplay and basically that set the game up for them.

“He’d look so much better playing in blue and white than green and yellow but hopefully one day he wants to come back.”

“It was probably a bit disappointing that we couldn’t get the job done to celebrate (Butterworth’s 300th) but he has been a really important player for us for the last 10-15 years and he is a really good club person.”

“I think that number of games shows if you work your way from playing in the fourths to being one of Premier Cricket’s best first XI players in the competition, then you don’t have to play pathway cricket to be a good cricketer if you are prepared to work and put the hard yards in.”

Without wunderkind Oliver Peake, who was off scoring runs for Vic Country’s under-17 side at the national championships, the Cats blooded two debutants in Peake’s national under-19 teammate Henry Melville and leg-spinning all-rounder Arjun Sehrawat.

The pair combined for Sehrawat’s first wicket with Melville performing a stumping off the tweaker’s bowing to dismiss Carlton batter Jai Lemire.

Sehramat, who filled in for Northern Territory at the under-19 national championships after missing out on Vic Metro selection, was the most economical Geelong bowler in the first game with promising figures of 1-13 from three overs, also taking 1-6 against Northcote.

Neither debutant made it past double figures in both of their innings, with Colac product Melville unable to make an impact with the bat at No.3.

Henry Melville made his debut for Geelong. Picture: Mark Wilson

Agg said it was exciting to see them both get their chance and believes they have bright futures ahead.

“We are rapt and proud that he has got his opportunity. I think if Henry was to reflect on his innings I think he went away from what he does really well,” Agg said.

“He probably will get better for the experience I thought he looked OK but he probably tried to do something that wasn’t his strength and it probably cost him his wicket both games.

“Really exciting to see what the future can hold for him, he is a really good player.

“Arjun played for Northern Territory and had a really good carnival and then had a really good pre-Christmas T20 program and bowled really well, took a wicket in his first game against Carlton, stuck to his nerve.

“He is a good batter as well, he probably just, again, fell into that trap of probably being a bit one-dimensional. Plan was right, execution was wrong so he is going to be a good player for us too.”

Originally published as Geelong lose two T20 matches and blood debutants Henry Melville and Arjun Sehrawat