Pakenham batter Chris Smith blasts 140no, 210no, 214no...with a $120 bat

Chris Smith’s spectacular run spree is the talk of the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association, but few know the real story behind it. “It’s just so bizarre,’’ he says.

Chris Smith after making 214 not out on Saturday. Picture: Facebook

Chris Smith’s spectacular run spree is the talk of the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association, but few know the real story behind it.

The Pakenham batter has blazed 140no, 210no and 214no in successive innings — all while using an old bat that cost just $120.

What’s more, the bat is a reject of sorts; one of Pakenham skipper Dale Tormey’s cast offs.

“Last year I think my bat may have broken or I wasn’t really liking the feel of it,“ Smith explained.

“So he (Tormey) has thrown me one of his and I’m pretty sure I scored some runs that day so I thought, ‘yep, that one’s staying in the kit’, and it hasn’t left since, which he hasn’t minded.

“He (Tormey) was saying yesterday that he only paid $120 for it.

“So he said, ‘you’re really making the most of that $120 aren’t you’.”

Dale Tormey.

Smith admits he’s been “cashing in” during a stretch of form most batters can only dream about. He’s up to 891 runs for the season, at 111.

“I’m seeing the ball well but riding a wave of luck at the same time and I’ve been able to cash in,” the humble 33-year-old said.

Smith whacked 29 fours and 4 sixes during his latest double century, against Cardinia on Saturday.

He was quick to point out he was dropped on about 30, and again in the 190s — and there was also a “close lbw shout”.

“So luck played a part in it,” he said.

He said a positive mindset was paying off.

“I do like to back myself in and go over the top, especially to the spinners and I guess you just have your days when it comes off, and some days it doesn’t,’’ Smith said.

“But I feel like I’m starting to learn when to and when not to, and to control the tempo of my innings a lot better than I used to.”

Smith has built a brilliant record in the CCCA (and in the old West Gippsland association).

He’s blitzed more than 20 centuries, including four or five at Pakenham Upper Toomuc where he played before joining the Lions about a decade ago.

A no-frills cricketer, Smith plays with a calmness. You won’t see him glove punching — although he admits a young teammate caught him unaware on Saturday.

“There are not many of us in the team that actually glove punch,” Smith said.

“The young fella that batted with me at the end, Sendhil (Naidu), he actually glove punched me at change of over and instinctively I tapped him back and then I thought about it and said, ‘that doesn’t feel right’. I said, ‘by the way mate, I’m not a glove puncher, so I think that’s our one and we’re done’.”

As for his achievements (back-to-back unbeaten double tons and 564 runs in his past three innings, without being dismissed), Smith said it “hasn’t really sunk in”.

“I got flooded yesterday with messages from family and friends and even players in the association which is really nice,” he said.

“I had a moment then to really think about it. It’s just so bizarre to even think about it…never in my wildest dreams did I think something like this would have happened.

“I’m sure I’ll sit back at the end of the season and reflect on it. But at the moment it’s on to next week and try and keep the ball rolling.”

Flashback: Chris Smith batting for Pakenham in 2014.

*Long-time Pakenham president Phil Anning said Smith was undoubtedly among the club’s greatest batters of all time.

“It’s really hard to compare eras because we’ve had some outstanding players like Dallas Wyatt, Eddie Lewis, Ben Moroney and these type of blokes,’’ Anning said.

“Dallas was as good a player as you’d ever get, as was Eddie.

“Chris is an outstanding cricketer.

“And people forget before he joined us after he played for Pakenham Upper where he made at least four, maybe even five or six, centuries with them.

“So all of a sudden for a bloke who’s about 33 he’s made nearly 20 top grade hundreds.’’

Anning added: “He tells me every year he’s retiring. He’s a very private person, Chris. If I tried to ring him this morning he wouldn’t answer the phone because he’d know what I was ringing for, just to congratulate him, and he hates that. He’s very humble. So I’ll just shoot him off a text message.

“We’re so privileged at Pakenham that we were able to secure him.

“He’s just a lovely young man, he’s from a great family, he’s married to a beautiful girl, he’s just become a father four or five months ago. I can’t speak highly enough of him.’’

*On a day of big scores, Koo Wee Rup captain Luke McMaster blitzed 190 off 163 balls against Merinda Park. His eye-popping knock fired the Demons to 5-384 off 63 overs. McMaster was in no mood to muck around — he smacked 12 sixes and 16 fours, going past 600 runs for the season in the process.

Koo Wee Rup opener Steven Dillon made 91 off 83 balls and Chris Bright cracked 72 off 75 balls. McMaster and Bright shared a 145-run third wicket partnership.