State runs record falls before the bat of 12-year-old Archie Flynn

Brilliant young batsman Archie Flynn is making tons of runs this summer, along the way breaking a record at representative level.

Sean Flynn with sons Harry and Archie.

IT was a buzz for Sean Flynn to bat with his 12-year-old son Archie for the first time.

If only the experience had lasted longer.

They were teammates in the Bayswater Third XI this season and the partnership was brief.

“Flynny’’ made a duck. Not to worry; he’s made his share of runs in a fine career that took in captaining Ringwood to two Premier Cricket flags.

Young Archie made 59. And since that Round 1 match he’s made a lot more runs, for his clubs, representative teams and for Victoria.

CRICKETERS REFLECT ON PLAYING ON BLACK SATURDAY

SPECTATOR BANNED AFTER OFF-FIELD VERBAL STOUSH

He played for the Vics’ 12 years and under team at the nationals in Perth in December, and in the grand final was involved in a century partnership with his captain and opening partner Oliver Peake.

Victoria hit 0-102 in reply to 99.

“It was a great carnival, a really good experience,’’ Archie said on Tuesday night at the Bayswater nets.

“I met new people and it was a high standard of cricket. It was pretty cool to get the final livestreamed too.’’

Archie Flynn in action.

In January Archie was player of the carnival in the VMCU Keith Mitchell Shield for the second successive season, after cracking a record 345 runs at an average of 69.

His scores were 44, 31 ret, 86, 52 ret, 48 ret, 30, 14 and 40 for Ringwood District.

His team lost the grand final but Archie was man of the match.

All up this season he’s made more than 1000 runs.

Archie plays Under 12 cricket on a Friday night, Under 14s on Saturday morning and seniors on Saturday afternoons.

And if he misses out with the bat he’ll ask his father to throw him some balls in the nets on Sundays.

Sean Flynn has been doing that for a few years; Archie was six when he started playing with his brother Harry’s Under 10 team.

“I didn’t really play because when I got bored I’d just walk off the field,’’ he said. “I didn’t really understand you had to stay on.’’

His father’s best advice? “Keep your head still, so you can hit the ball cleanly.’’

Harry, like Archie a left-hand batsman, is also coming along with his cricket, being selected in the Victorian Metro Under 15 team.

Both boys have above-average talent. But their dad said the most important thing was that they enjoyed their cricket.

He said Archie was “hard to get out, put a price on his wicket and he’s got a lot of strokes’’.

“He’s a good little player, Archie,’’ he said. “He’s always had a knack for hitting a moving ball, I guess.’’

As for the brief partnership earlier in the season: “I made a duck and he made 50, so it wasn’t so quite exciting for me as it was for him!’’

Archie Flynn is this week’s Leader junior sports star.

MORE LEADER NEWS

LIFESAVER’S PLEA: DON’T BRING INFLATABLES TO THE BEACH

ANGRY NEIGHBOUR’S DOG ACT INVESTIGATED