Premier Cricket 2024-25: Ringwood’s Justin Beaton takes 5-46 on debut

First XI debuts with the ball simply don’t come much better, or memorable, than that of Ringwood’s Justin Beaton. Remember the name.

Ringwood’s Justin Beaton romped into rare air with the ball on debut on Saturday. Picture: Ringwood CC

First XI debuts with the ball simply don’t come much better.

Young Ringwood paceman Justin Beaton turned heads in his maiden top-flight showing on Saturday, blitzing his way to a haul of 5-46 off 18 overs in his side’s draw with Casey South Melbourne.

The right-arm medium-fast bowler sent them down from his six-foot-five height at first-change, claiming the scalps of Swans opener Daud Malik (12) and No. 4 Jackson Isakka (31), before dismissing each of Matthew Calder and captains David Pollock and Chris Benedek for a duck.

His off-season had been spent with UK-based club Steyning, which included a 4-26 return off 7.5 overs in May.

“It rarely happens,” Ringwood coach Sean Flynn remarked of Beaton’s feat on debut.

“Really thrilled for him, he’s had a few injury problems over the last couple of years and he’s kept working hard at his game.

“(Justin) had a really good off-season in England and has come back and bowled beautifully.

“He got some really good players out – our most dangerous bowler for the day by far … he was really consistent where he put the ball on the weekend and created those chances for us.”

The Croydon Ranges product featured in a Dowling Shield-winning side with the Rams – and Flynn said Beaton had earned his stripes for a First XI call-up after some four years with the club.

He topped the bowling in the Third XI in 2022-23 with 23 wickets – and began this season in the seconds with a 3-10 return against the Camberwell Magpies.

But Beaton’s climb into the top-flight had presented its share of challenges – and disappointment – with injury also putting paid to a shot at an underage state nod.

“He picked up some stress fractures early last season – we’d hoped he’d make the Victorian under-19 metro team last year but unfortunately those injuries set him back a little bit,” Flynn said.

Beaton followed former Victorian-listed quick Matt Fotia on Saturday from first-change – and Flynn said the pair combined nicely.

“They’re working well together – Matthew’s setting great examples and always has for him and ‘Juzzy’ is just improving session by session,” he said.

The Rams put on 9-283d with the bat, led by fellow youngster Ollie Horlock with 66 runs from 100 balls. Meanwhile, opener Jackson Freeman sailed past the half-century with 52 off 144. The stalwart also collected 2-19, ending the run of opener Yash Pednekar on 74 as the Swans finished with 8-210.

Ringwood hosts St Kilda in Round 3, while Casey South Melbourne is at home in its clash with Prahran.