VSDCA 2023-24: Bayswater teen Lachlan Payne bags five wickets in Endeavour Hills bout

A Bayswater teenager provided Endeavour Hills plenty of headaches with the ball on Saturday, setting his side to chase its maiden victory of the VSDCA South-East season this weekend.

BAYSWATER captain-coach Jason Kilby says teenager Lachlan Payne has embraced his opportunity in the club’s top-flight.

The seventeen-year-old, right-arm-medium-pacer provided the Endeavour Hills batting order plenty of headaches on Saturday, firing with 5-51 off 20 overs as the Eagles fell for 162.

Bayswater sits 1-49 and will chase 113 runs this weekend.

Payne’s haul consigned Hills opener Zac Perryman to a duck, also removing the remaining top-order in Lachlan De Zilwa (18 runs off 43 balls) and Ishan Kahatapitigama (10 off 11).

He also stopped Eagles captain Madurawalage Jayasundera in his tracks on 30 runs and Bineth Bandara for 33.

Howzat! Bayswater’s Lachlan Payne celebrates five-fa on Saturday. Picture: Bayswater CC

“He just put the ball in really good areas, let the seam and the wicket do the work and just stuck to our game-plan really well,” Kilby said of Payne, a member of Ringwood’s under-18 Premier squad.

“He was so consistent and so repeatable … he bowls quick enough that if he’s consistent in that area, you’re going to create opportunities for yourself.”

Kilby said the bowling prodigy had combined nicely with returning paceman Luke Turner after breaking into the top-flight last season.

Payne received a last-minute call-up for the opening-round clash with Donvale.

“He (Payne) got a taste of First XI cricket playing about half a season in the ones, and in Round 1 (this season) he was actually selected in the twos,” Kilby said.

“We had a withdrawal on the Saturday morning, so he started for the first game against Donvale and he was the pick of our bowlers that day.

“We knew how good of a bowling partnership he and Luke Turner had in the back-half of the season with the new ball, so with Luke Turner coming back in, it was an easy decision for those two to open the bowling.

“They really complement each other well – Turner bowls quite quick and can unsettle the batsmen quite well, and ‘Payney’ is very consistent and seams the ball around.”

The Waters had to wait until after Christmas last season to toast their first victory, in a campaign which netted just two wins for 15th spot.

Despite a six-wicket loss first-up, the second-year mentor declared his group had already shown promise of an improved return this season as it hunts its maiden victory, aided by a raft of new names.

“In Round 1 (against Donvale) we made 190 on a wicket that had a bit in it, and I thought that was a reasonable performance in a one-day game,” Kilby said.

“We feel confident and feel we’re in a good position – we feel our depth this season is much stronger.”