Lysterfield Cricket Club’s Nathan Walsh named in All-Australian XI after helping Vic Country to national championship crown
After plundering more than 400 runs at an average of 42, Nathan Walsh guided Vic Country to the national title, and earned himself a prestigious selection honour along the way.
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A return to the ranks of the Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association has worked wonders for Lysterfield’s Nathan Walsh as he became a vital cog in the Victorian Country machine that won the Australian Country Cricket Championships in Toowoomba last week.
Walsh played an important role with the bat as the Vics looked to improve on their runner-up finish in Shepparton last year.
The Beavers’ skipper took charge from the outset with a 54-ball 69 in the opening T20 against Western Australia, before plundering Queensland for 42 in the Round 2 match later that afternoon.
Another quick half century – this time in 36 balls – welcomed the ACT back into the competition before Walsh was 38 not out at the end of Victoria’s nine-wicket win over South Australia to conclude the T20 matches.
Walsh then carded his third half-century, scoring 64 from 43 balls against New South Wales before reigning champions Western Australia brought about the undoing of Victoria’s top order in the longer format and the Vics fell short by 43 runs.
Walsh was back to form the next day against Queensland, scoring 47 in the win.
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A lean patch followed, with 11 against the ACT and 10 against South Australia, though Victoria won both matches through collective team efforts.
Victoria confirmed it’s place in the decider with victory against New South Wales as Walsh (68) scored his fourth half-century.
The final was a rematch of the 2019 decider against Western Australia and Victoria took first use of the wicket.
Walsh was at the crease at 2-38 and played his part in setting up the Victorian innings in the middle-order, batting for more than an hour for a hard-fought 17 as Victoria carded 194.
In reply, Western Australia was in early trouble, losing two wickets in as many balls to slip to 2-5. Though a monsoonal downpour threatened to ruin a classic match, Victoria dismissed Western Australia for 145 to secure the title.
Walsh’s campaign saw him card 422 runs in 11 matches at an average of 42.20 with four half-centuries. On the back of that performance, he was named in the Australian Country XI, becoming the first FTGDCA player since Simon Reeves in 1998 to be named more than once in the national all-star team.
The honour repeats his effort from the 2016 championships, when he was selected in the Australian Country XI after a campaign that saw him claim the Don Bradman batting award.