Premier Cricket: Carlton champion Evan Gulbis hits sizzling century

Finally, the Victorian Premier Cricket men’s season hit off — and it took only two hours for a Carlton champion to raise his bat for a swashbuckling century.

Evan Gulbis made a blazing start to the 2022-23 season, cracking 116.

He smashed his third ball straight over the bowler’s head for six.

And just two hours later, Carlton captain-coach Evan Gulbis was celebrating a special achievement — a century in his 200th game for the Blues.

Gulbis faced the first ball of the season and said he “hit them pretty clean to be fair” as he raced to 116 off 105 balls (13 fours, 4 sixes) to set up Carlton’s 3-310 off 50 overs against Geelong at Princes Park.

Blues young gun Jai Lemire underlined his high rating with a dashing knock of 63 not out off 49 balls, including two straight sixes from the bowling of Geelong and Big Bash League paceman Brody Couch at the back end of the innings.

Geelong won the toss and sent Carlton in, and the Blues gleefully accepted the invitation.

Harry Smyth batting for Carlton. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Gulbis and Mackenzie Harvey (33) laid the foundations with a 107-run opening partnership before Carlton run machine Harry Smyth joined Gulbis, the pair taking the score to 1-180, when Gulbis was dismissed.

Smyth, who punched out 76 off 93 balls, then shared a 126-run third wicket stand with Lemire as the Blues whistled past 300.

In reply, Geelong pushed hard for victory but fell just short, restricted to 9-293.

Geelong captain Meyrick Buchanan top scored for the Cats with 69 off 62 balls before becoming one of Xavier Crone’s two victims.

Carlton all-rounder Connor Rutland snared 3-54 off 10 overs, including the scalp of Geelong opener Josh Larkin for 37.

Fitness fanatic Gulbis admitted he went into the opening game of the season a bit sore after running a half marathon in Launceston on Cup Day morning.

He usually only does cycling training but with his bike undergoing repairs, he put on the running shoes.

“I got about 15km in and it was a box I wanted to tick…so I thought I better keep going,” he said.

“I couldn’t walk for about three days.”

Carlton scorer Kevin O'Neill.

Three balls into his innings, Gulbis hit Geelong opening bowler Dom McGlinchey straight back over his head for six.

“I felt in pretty good nick from the start, played my role and took the new ball on,” he said.

“Then I probably noodled a little bit to the hundred and then went hard again but that’s how we structure up; use my power and my skill set early and set the game up for everybody.”

It was 36-year-old Gulbis’s 22nd century in Premier Cricket.

But he said his highlight of the day was the vital innings by keeper-batter Lemire, who went in at No. 4.

“It was fantastic that he took that chance yesterday, some of the stuff he did we probably didn’t think he was capable of,” Gulbis said.

“He hit Couch for two sixes straight back over his head. You know, the bloke bowls 140 and is a BBL player, and he’s taken him down at the back end. If he can do that what else can he do?”

*Carlton scorer Kevin O’Neill chalked up his 1000th 1st XI premier match or higher on Saturday.

The extraordinary total includes Test matches, ODI’s, First-class cricket and List A games. He’s done it all during 50 years of dedication and loyalty to his craft.