Premier Cricket 2020-21: six weeks to go and the whips are cracking
Here’s a look at how every Premier Cricket club is tracking, from finals hopes to also-rans, and a spotlight of the star performers this season.
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With six rounds left in the home-and-away season, the finals race is heating up in Victorian Premier Cricket.
Just 11 points separate sixth from 11th in the battle for the top eight, while the top four teams are all within six points, in what looms a thrilling finale.
The team at Leader Local Cricket has analysed all 18 clubs and their finals hopes, as well as the standout performers so far this summer with bat and ball.
CARLTON
Ladder: First (eight wins, two losses, one draw) on 48 points
To come: Ringwood (away), Kingston Hawthorn (home), Fitzroy Doncaster (away), Dandenong (away), Casey-South Melbourne (home), Melbourne (away)
State of play: Take out a flat spot in January when they suffered defeats to flag rivals St Kilda and Northcote, and the Blues have been almost flawless. Star middle-order batsman Nick Ross says his team believes it boasts 11 matchwinners, and Carlton’s power-packed line-up will be hard to beat in finals as it chases a second flag in three seasons. The Blues have a 2-2 record against top-eight sides this summer and face Fitzroy Doncaster (seventh), Dandenong (fourth) and Melbourne (third) in the run home.
Season best: Middle-order rescue specialists Tom Smyth (426 runs at 60.86) and Nick Ross (407 at 81.40) have led the way with the bat, while star wicketkeeper-batsman Brayden Stepien (400 at 80) is putting together another superb campaign as he pushes for higher honours. Captain-coach Evan Gulbis (300 at 33.33) has also threatened and hit an unbeaten 102 against Greenvale Kangaroos to go with 18 wickets at 19.94 apiece. State paceman Xavier Crone (18 wickets) and spinner Eddy O’Sullivan (16) have also impressed.
CAMBERWELL MAGPIES
Ladder: 16th (two wins, seven losses, two draws) on 13 points
To come: Melbourne University (home), Essendon (away), Kingston Hawthorn (home), Footscray (away), Melbourne (home), Casey-South Melbourne (away)
State of play: The Maggies began the season 0-5 before breaking the duck with back-to-back wins over Greenvale and Richmond. Injuries haven’t helped their cause in former international Ian Stanger’s first season as coach – fast bowler Steve Singh and key batsman Ben Rowles are among 10 players to have watched from the sidelines through injury. Batsman Rishab Guddadamane has been in and out, playing just five First XI matches of a possible 10, but he’s made a successful return playing the last two. The surprise packet of the season has been Hamish Burrill, who made his First XI debut in Round 5 before bursting on to the scene with 99 not out in the win over the ‘Roos the next week. He’s compiled 174 runs to date to sit fourth overall in his club’s scoring. It’s been a tough campaign but the remaining fixtures contain just one top-eight side, presenting opportunities to post a few more wins before the season’s out.
Season best: Akshay Kodoth leads the Magpie batting with 264 runs from all 10 matches, moving into the top-order from Round 6 after beginning the season at No 7. Two half-centuries and a high score of 90 since making the move, and he hasn’t looked back. Kodoth is followed by the great Simon Hill with 212, and Guddadamane’s half season in the First XI has produced 198 runs. It’s tight at the top of the bowling with William Walker taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 3.99, with a season-best performance coming against ladder-leader Carlton in Round 10. Captain Andrew Fekete isn’t far behind with 10 at 5.15, with half of those coming in a 5-37 haul against Richmond in Round 7 – the only Magpie to achieve the feat so far this season.
CASEY-SOUTH MELBOURNE
Ladder: 13th (four wins, six losses, one draw) on 21 points
To come: Fitzroy Doncaster (away), Footscray (home), Prahran (away), Ringwood (home), Carlton (away), Camberwell Magpies (home)
State of play: The Swans’ form has been patchy and they will need to win most of their remaining games to snatch a finals berth. Injuries, though, will make the task even harder. Former Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan has a strained hamstring, as does former captain Lachie Sperling and fast bowler Jackson Fry. Quickie Nathan Lambden has been out of the team with a shoulder problem and won’t be returning. Dilshan made his Casey South Melbourne debut in Round 5 and cracked 53 off 42 balls to help his new side to a rousing win over Dandenong. The Swans looked set to soar. But a couple of stinging run-chase defeats since have stalled their progress.
Season best: The continued rise of 19-year-old opening batsman Ashley Chandrasinghe has been a highlight for the Swans. He shot to prominence a year ago when he made 144 on debut for the Swans, and this season he’s peeled off scores of 98no, 85, 70, 67 and 51 for 441 runs (at 49) to sit seventh on the competition run list. Callum Dodson leads the Swans’ wicket count with 17 at 26.9, a commendable effort in his first season at this level. Fellow paceman Jackson Fry has also made good strides this season (11 wickets at 29). Batsman-keeper Devin Pollock has also done well again, with 238 runs and 16 dismissals behind the stumps. Pollock is a serious player.
DANDENONG
Ladder: Fourth (seven wins, three losses, one draw) on 40 points
To come: Geelong (away), Fitzroy-Doncaster (home), Northcote (away), Carlton (home), Essendon (away), Greenvale Kangaroos (home)
State of play: The Panthers returned from the Christmas break to run into Sri Lankan great Tillakaratne Dilshan on debut for Casey South Melbourne, and they felt the force of his swishing bat. They fell to Ringwood the following week too. But they’ve won their past four matches, with Test man James Pattinson adding a sharp edge to the attack since Round 8. Brett Forsyth’s return to the opening position has been another lifter; the right-hander is happier negotiating red ball than white, giving him time to build, but he’s had scores of 20, 124no, 46, 47no and 58 since resuming his prolific partnership with captain Tom Donnell. He’s heading for another 600 runs-plus season, and the Panthers are on course for a top-four finish.
Season best: Ryder Medal champion Forsyth sits eighth on the competition run list with 435 at an average of 87. With a strike rate of 59.5 he is not exactly making his case for a Big Bash contract. But he is adapting to the match situation. After a spell with the Melbourne Stars, Ed Newman returned to take a star turn against Melbourne University, blitzing 120 not out, his maiden Premier century. There will be more tons to come. James Nanopoulos leads the club wicket count with 21 at 13.1, eight of them coming with that spectacular haul against Kingston Hawthorn in the last round before Christmas. Adam McMaster wasn’t in the First XI in the pre-Christmas exchanges but he’s grabbed 13 wickets in four matches since his return to the top team. Peter Cassidy has 14 scalps — and an economy rate of 3.03 — and champion spinner Suraj Randiv 12.
ESSENDON
Ladder: 10th (five wins, five losses, one draw) on 29 points
To come: Kingston Hawthorn (away), Camberwell (home), Ringwood (away), Frankston Peninsula (away), Dandenong (home), Prahran (home)
State of play: If the Bombers can put it all together they can still make a run at the Premier Cricket premiership. Essendon sits just six points outside the top eight with six games remaining without ever putting together any true consistency with the bat. Either the big three — James Seymour, Aaron Ayre and Michael Hill — have fired and the middle-order has failed or vice versa. What has been consistent has been the attack. Essendon has taken the seventh most wickets in the competition and is capable of running through even the best top-order.
Season’s best: There’s two familiar names leading the way for Essendon; James Seymour and Matt Doric. Despite missing three games due to a Big Bash League call-up, Seymour still sits fifth on the competition run-scorers charts with 474 and an average of 94.80. Having lost his Victoria contract, Aaron Ayre is flying under the radar this season with 330 runs, 22nd overall, just ahead of skipper Michael Hill in 23rd. Perhaps disappointly the three are the only Bombers in the top 50. Meanwhile, Doric is eyeing off a fourth straight 30-wicket season having claimed 20 already to sit equal fourth. He’s received plenty of help from star spinner Liam Bowe (15 wickets) and young paceman Cam McClure (13).
FITZROY-DONCASTER
Ladder: Seventh (six wins, four losses, one draw) on 34 points
To come: Casey-South Melbourne (home), Dandenong (away), Carlton (home), Kingston Hawthorn (away), Geelong (home), Richmond (away)
State of play: The Lions lost their opening three outings before turning their season around with six wins on the reel, including a 97-run victory over Melbourne University on Australia Day which put them in the top eight for the first time this season. They defeated Greenvale four days later before falling short to Essendon in Round 10 to take the season ledger to 6-4. Three of the Lions’ six clashes in the run home come against top-eight sides in Dandenong (fourth), Carlton (first) and Geelong (eighth). Their back end of the season has been boosted by the availability of all-rounder Sam Elliott from Melbourne Stars.
Season best: It’s been some campaign from Jack Rudd with the bat. He’s 11th in the competition for runs with 414 at an average of 46 and strike rate of 73.4, including two centuries in a fortnight with a high score of 122 not out against Footscray in Round 6 to go with 105 against Greenvale in Round 9. He’s followed by Lakshmn Shivakumar with 301 at an average of 33.44. Skipper Ejaaz Alavi continues to present, leading his club with 16 wickets at an economy rate of 3.87, with his season-best of 3-13 coming against Greenvale. The Lions have also enjoyed the benefits of consistent seasons from Nicholas Fletcher (12 wickets at 4.59) and Charles Simondson (10 at 4.09).
FOOTSCRAY
Ladder: 12th (four wins, six losses, one draw) on 23 points
To come: St Kida (home), Casey-South Melbourne (away), Frankston Peninsula (home), Camberwell Magpies (home), Prahran (away), Ringwood (away)
State of play: The Bulldogs have been hit and miss this season aside from strong performances against Essendon and Geelong either side of the Christmas break. They remain in the finals hunt, but are 12 points outside the top eight and will need to win most games in the back half of the home-and-away season. Footscray’s vaunted batting line-up has struggled for consistency, while it has missed the strike power of Jackson Coleman, who has only made two appearances after a hamstring injury, while Jake Reed is also on the sidelines after a knee reconstruction.
Season best: Young left-handed opener Dylan Brasher has stood tall at the top of the order, turning promise into performance in a breakout season. Brasher has 404 runs at 40.4, highlighted by a maiden Premier First XI century against Dandenong. The experienced Dan Sartori (336 runs at 37.33) has also been in good form, while Victorian batsman Travis Dean (259) and Dean Russ (235) have shown glimpses of their best. Up-and-coming paceman Jordan Buckingham (13 wickets at 27) and Russ (13 at 29.85) have been the best with the ball.
FRANKSTON PENINSULA
Ladder: 18th (one win, one tie, eight losses, one draw) on 9 points
To come: Prahran (home), Melbourne University (away), Footscray (away), Essendon (home), Ringwood (home), St Kilda (away)
State of play: After losing their first four games, the Heat returned from the Christmas break with a rousing win over ladder leader Melbourne. Three disappointing losses followed before the Heat had a gripping tie with Camberwell Magpies. Brodie Symons is leading a young Frankston Peninsula side that is gaining vital experience with each game. The Heat have had seven debutants already this season. Their goal over the next six weeks will be to avoid the wooden spoon.
Season best: While the Heat’s batting has been their Achilles heel, a couple of youngsters have made impressive progress. Ryan Hammel, a strong right-hander with a good temperament, has scored three half-centuries on his way to 303 runs, at 30.3. At 20, he’s got an exciting future. Symons has led from the front and is the Heat’s top run scorer with 318 (at 35) and wicket-taker with 14 scalps. Newcomer Anurag Singh Dhaliwal made an eye-catching debut, taking three wickets in the Heat’s win over Melbourne, and has added a new dimension to the attack. Former Fitzroy Doncaster spinner Bailen Clarke has also looked good, taking 10 wickets.
GEELONG
Ladder: Eighth (six wins, four losses, one draw) 35 points
To come: Dandenong (home), St Kilda (away), Richmond (home), Prahran (home, Fitzroy Doncaster (away), Northcote (home)
State of play: The Cats are far from safe sitting eighth, just six points ahead of Ringwood and Essendon, but will fancy their chances with four home matches in the final six rounds. That said, five of those six games are against top-eight rivals. Geelong boasts arguably the best batting order in the competition, leading with league with 2483 runs — 335 runs more than second — but will need its bowling attack to step up come the business end of the season. The Cats’ 69 wickets is 11th in the competition and, most worryingly, they’re 18th in runs conceded.
Season best: Eamonn Vines is sending Victoria selectors a not-so-subtle reminder of his talents after being dropped from the state contract list. The Cats opener and captain leads the league with 600 runs at 75.00 with a top score of 115 not out and five half-centuries to his name. Geelong are the only club with two batsman in the top-10 run-scorers with state rookie Tom Jackson 10th overall with 425 runs at 53.13. Such is the Cats’ batting firepower, Josh McDonald sits 19th and Angus Boyd 24th. Josh Garner leads Geelong’s attack with 13 wickets on the season but that is only good enough for 26th overall. Dom McGlinchey sits 31st, the only other Cat in the top 50.
GREENVALE KANGAROOS
Ladder: 15th (two wins, seven losses, two draws) on 15 points
To come: Richmond (home), Prahran (away), Melbourne (home), Northcote (home), St Kilda (away), Dandenong (away)
State of play: With new coach Damian Shanahan coming on board, this season isn’t about the win-loss ratio for Greenvale. It’s about finding out who is up to the standard of First XI cricket. The Kangaroos have found a couple of promising youngsters in Josh Trembearth, Nick Dixon and Jacob Pawlowicz, and the addition of Matt Harrison and captaincy of Michael Stretton have been crucial. Greenvale will hope to match last year’s total of three wins but face a difficult run home with all bar Richmond currently inside the top eight.
Season best: Outside of former Sri Lanka Test batsman Kaushal Silva, Greenvale had only one batsman make the top-50 last season — Michael Stretton in 48th. This season the Kangaroos have three, led by Josh Trembearth in 31st with Matt Harrison 36th and Nick Dixon 48th, and all averaging more than 30. Trembearth scored his maiden First XI century in the Round 10 win over Frankston Peninula and also has a half-century against Carlton. Sean McNicholl hasn’t reached the heights of his breakout 2019-20 but still leads the Kangaroos with 13 scalps at an average of 28.46, while young spinner Jacob Pawlowicz has 12 wickets.
KINGSTON HAWTHORN
Ladder: 17th (two wins, eight losses, one draw) on 11 points
To come: Essendon (home), Carlton (away), Camberwell Magpies (away), Fitzroy-Doncaster (home), Northcote (away), Melbourne University (home)
State of play: The Hawks are down the list, but they still have plenty to play for; they may not be able to make the finals, but they can certainly have a say in who makes them and who finishes where. They’ve improved since last season – overall the club has had 11 wins across the grades compared to four for all of 2019-20 – and they need to two or three more wins to show it. Kingston Hawthorn has been involved in two of the more memorable matches of the season, having a spectacular collapse against Dandenong – it was 7-4 at one stage – before Christmas, but upsetting St Kilda at the Junction Oval two rounds later.
Season best: In only his second match in Premier Cricket newcomer Abi Jain took all the headlines, and took to the Frankston Peninsula bowling, with an innings of 148 off 107 balls, packed with 8 sixes and 13 fours. He has 249 runs at 27.67, but he’s been in a rough trot since Round 6. Skipper Shorye Chopra heads the list with 255 at 25.50, with six 30-plus scores and one half-century. On the bowling side, all-rounder Harvinder Singh has been handy with 14 wickets at 21.9, with his best of 4-35 helping topple St Kilda. Medium pacer Jade Christensen and off-spinner Prateek Patil both have 10 wickets.
MELBOURNE
Ladder: Third (seven wins, three losses, one draw) on 40 points
To come: Northcote (away), Ringwood (home), Greenvale Kangaroos (away), Melbourne University (home), Camberwell Magpies (away), Carlton (home)
State of play: The Demons went into the Christmas break with the cheer of being undefeated, but they lost their first three matches when the competition returned. Since then they’ve won their past three, with Blake Thomson contributing big runs in each game. Captain Cameron White missed a few weeks with his coaching duties in the Big Bash but he returned last week and will have a steady and shrewd hand on the talent-rich Dees in the last third of the season. Jack Prestwidge was another welcome returnee from the BBL. There is much to play out in the Sheffield Shield, but if the Vics don’t make the final the state players will be available for the Premier preliminary and grand finals; if they get that far the Demons could bring in Sam Harper, Seb Goitch and maybe even Will Pucovski.
Season best: Blake Thomson is widely seen as a better red-ball player than white. Yet the right-hander is putting together a formidable season: with one century and five half-centuries he’s got up to 563 runs at 80.4; only top Cat Eamonn Vines (600 at 75) has more. Jack Harper and Fergus O’Neill are the only other Melbourne batsmen to have crossed 200 runs. Swinger O’Neill has also captured 17 wickets at 19.41 — he’s quickly coming to the boil as a cricketer — and leg-spinner Kyle Williamson is up to 20 after a so-so start.
MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY
Ladder: 11th (four wins, five losses, two draws) on 27 points
To come: Camberwell Magpies (away), Frankston Peninsula (home), St Kilda (home), Melbourne (away), Richmond (home), Kingston Hawthorn (away)
State of play: Melbourne University would be favoured to win four of their six remaining matches despite a mixed run of results in 2020-21. The Students showcased their capabilities early in the season with crushing wins over Footscray and Essendon in successive weeks but have since struggled to recapture that form. Melbourne Uni, which finished the home-and-away rounds on top of the ladder in 2019-20 and claimed the club championship, has also been without gun all-rounder Alex Gregory, but it has enough talent to make a push for finals in coming weeks.
Season best: Andrej Yaksender leads the batting with 255 runs at 36.43, boosted by a knock of 112 against Greenvale Kangaroos. Jarrod Martignago (248 runs), skipper James McNeil (239) and Noah Croes (223) have also contributed. Spinner Ben Rolfs (11 wickets at 16.45) and star recruit Simon Mackin (11 at 21.27) have been the most consistent bowlers.
NORTHCOTE
Ladder: Second (eight wins, two losses, one draw) on 46 points
To come: Melbourne (home), Richmond (away), Dandenong (home), Greenvale Kangaroos (away), Kingston Hawthorn (home), Geelong (away)
State of play: The COVID break couldn’t have come at a worst time for the Dragons, arguably the form side in the competition, riding a six-game winning streak since Christmas. However, it could also help refresh and focus the team ahead of a critical clash against Melbourne at Bill Lawry Oval. Northcote has been able to win games with bat or ball this season and is getting contributions from a range of players, which would no doubt thrill coach Steve Taylor and captain Blayde Baker. Having got a taste of finals last season, the Dragons are serious contenders.
Season best: Critical to Northcote’s success this season has been Mark Phelan’s return to form and the arrival of Michael Topp. After scoring 743 in 2018-19, Phelan managed 469 in 2019-20, but already has 537 this season and sits third in the competition. The opener also impressed in the Premier Cricket XI’s match against Victoria, scoring 91. Topp has been a revelation since crossing from Ringwood claiming 22 wickets in eight matches, second most in the competition, with an outstanding average of 10.86. All-rounder Jack Lalor is also enjoying an outstanding season. The rising star has 268 runs so far this season (32nd overall) and 12 wickets (equal 36th). Josh Sundberg scored his maiden First XI century in Round 5 and is 15th overall with 399 runs at 49.88.
PRAHRAN
Ladder: Sixth (seven wins, three losses, one draw) on 35.4 points
To come: Frankston Peninsula (away), Greenvale Kangaroos (home), Casey South Melbourne (home), Geelong (away), Footscray (home), Essendon (away)
State of play: The fixture affords the True Blues the chance to push for higher rungs, with the next three rounds bringing meetings with the Heat, Kangaroos and Swans. But they’ll be without paceman Andrew Perrin for four matches after his suspension at the tribunal last week. The True Blues have won four of their past five matches and it would have been a full hand of victories if not for some careless batting in the Australia Day run chase against Carlton.
Season best: You have to start with Lachie Bangs, the athletic all-rounder who has cracked two centuries – against Ringwood and Melbourne University – and started to be discussed as a potential Big Bash cricketer. He’s up to 360 runs at 51.42, made with a strike rate of 100.6. Fellow leftie Nick Blaich has also had a breakthrough summer with 373 runs at 41.44, including a maiden century (120) against Melbourne, when he and club great Adam Bull led off with 206 runs for the first wicket. Damon Egan, with innings of 104 and 96no, has also done well. Skipper Jake Hancock has yet to fire. But he’s a class player and they are never to be written off. With the ball, Matt “Bomber’’ Wilcox is having a snazzy season with 20 wickets at 13.20, not running through sides, but invariably giving them setbacks at the start of their innings. Left-arm spinner Blake Parsons has 18 wickets and recruit Nick Boland 16, striking back after a slow beginning to his Prahran career.
RICHMOND
Ladder: 14th (three wins, seven losses, one draw) on 19 points
To come: Greenvale Kangaroos (away), Northcote (home), Geelong (away), St Kilda (home), Melbourne University (away), Fitzroy Doncaster (home)
State of play: The Tigers won three of their first five games, toppling Casey-South Melbourne, Frankston Peninsula and Casey-South Melbourne in an encouraging start, but have struggled since. While Richmond is all but out of finals contention, they boast plenty of young talent through its four teams and should have a bright future, with Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mitch Perry and Wil Parker graduating to the state ranks.
Season best: Wicketkeeper-batsman Scott Edwards, who has represented Netherlands 33 times at international level and is still only 24, has been the Tigers’ standout performer. Edwards has returned scores of 79, 121, 11, 53, 53, 50 and 69 in his past seven innings, racking up 478 runs at 47.8 which ranks him the competition’s fourth most prolific batsman. Tim Goodman has 238 runs to his name. Stars Marcus Berryman (15 wickets), Dom Matarazzo (13) and Sam Mills (13) have all had good seasons at the bowling crease.
RINGWOOD
Ladder: ninth (four wins, four losses, three draws) on 27 points
To come: Carlton (home), Melbourne (away), Essendon (home), Casey-South Melbourne (away), Frankston Peninsula (away), Footscray (home)
State of play: Wash-outs haven’t been kind to the Rams this season, copping two in as many rounds – against Greenvale on Australia Day and Melbourne University four days later. This has hurt, taking into account the ladder logjam from third to eighth making each game just that bit more important. But they’re still within reach. They’ve proven they can mix it with some of the best this season, with two of their four wins coming against top-four sides in Northcote and Dandenong, while a huge fortnight awaits taking on ladder-leader Carlton and third-placed Melbourne – currently the only two top-eight sides in the Rams’ run home. They’ve not recorded back-to-back wins since opening the season 2-0, but the remaining fixture presents ample opportunity to right that and string a few together to push for the eight. They’ll wait on the availability of young quick Zak Evans, who, after a Renegades BBL stint, will be hopeful of continued Victorian selection, but would be a welcome addition to a Rams side looking to go for broke in the final six weeks.
Season best: Tom Rogers has been the standout at the crease, posting 461 from eight matches at an average of 65.86 and strike rate of 102.2. A season-opening knock of 181 not out in the win against Northcote set the wheels in motion, before scores of 57, 46, 114 and 63. He’s been supported by star all-rounder Ian Holland (265 at an average of 33.13 and strike rate of 94.3), with a high score of 123 in Round 4 against Prahran to go with an opening-round half-century knock of 55. Meanwhile, reigning joint Ryder medallist David King has posted two half-centuries in the past month, with 50 against Dandenong and a season-best 67 against Geelong to help his total to 192. It’s no surprise Holland heads the wicket tally with 19 for the season at 4.13 (a best of 5-20 against the Magpies in Round 2) alongside King with 11 at 4.36.
ST KILDA
Ladder: Fifth (seven wins, three losses, one draw) on 39 points
To come: Footscray (away), Geelong (home), Melbourne University (away), Richmond (away), Greenvale Kangaroos (home), Frankston Peninsula (home).
State of play: The Saints are among the bunch of teams with the ability and ambition to finish in the top four. Their bowling attack is formidable, spearheaded by NSW recruit Henry Thornton, emerging quickie Will Lovell and state-squad spinner Todd Murphy. Depending on Victoria’s Shield fortunes, the Saints could potentially bring in Marcus Harris, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson, Test players all, for the finals. That said, they have no more important player than their captain Adam Crosthwaite, one of those batsmen who makes his runs just when they’re needed and who is always calm in a crisis.
Season best: Right-armer Thornton is at the top of the competition wicket charts with 23 at 12.09 and his early strikes and speed unsettle top-orders. Left-arm veteran Simon O’Brien, Lovell, allrounders Josh Barttlett and Jon Merlo, and offie Murphy come in behind him. It is a cracking combination. With the batting, Crosthwaite (387 runs at 55.29) and opener Michael De Iacovo (381 at 42.33) are approaching 400 runs, and both have hit centuries. Merlo has a ton too, 123no against Fitzroy-Doncaster, but he’s been short of runs since the Christmas break. De Iacovo, by the way, has a strike rate of 109.5; his idea of taking the shine off the new ball is to send it fizzing into the fence.
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