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Cricket: Boom batsman Cameron Green falls agonisingly short of his first 200

Boom all-rounder Cameron Green could be back bowling next game for Western Australia after falling just short of his first 200 against NSW.

Russell GouldRussell Gould
@gouldynews
2 min read
October 23, 2020 - 9:52AM
NCA NewsWire
Cameron Green batted for more than a day to make 200 for Western Australia against New South Wales in Adelaide (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Cameron Green batted for more than a day to make 200 for Western Australia against New South Wales in Adelaide (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Cameron Green could unleash his full arsenal with a return to bowling in the next Sheffield Shield round after Australian cricket’s next big thing posted 197 reasons for the world to take notice.

The 21-year-old West Australian was cursing himself after falling agonisingly short of his first 200 at any level when he was trapped LBW by party-pooper Sean Abbott in Adelaide on Thursday.

Abbott himself was outstanding for NSW, snaring six of the 10 WA wickets to fall in a match so dominated by batsmen the captains agreed to a mercy rule, ending the match early in a draw.

There were 1084 runs scored, and only 18 wickets taken in the match, with Green’s 438-ball performance the standout.

And Green could be hurling down the 145km/h thunderbolts he is capable of as soon as the next match against Tasmania, declaring the issues with his back are close to being resolved.

“Potentially, the next game, depending on how the next seven days go,” Green said of his chances of showing the all-round skills that have Australian selectors in a lather.

“We have a couple of training sessions, so I’ll bowl a couple of times and see how that progresses.”

His ability with the ball was on show in 2017 when, aged just 17, he became the youngest player to complete a five-wicket haul in Shield cricket when he snared 5-24 on debut against Tasmania.

Green was calm and measured post-match, as he was while he was batting, disappointed at missing his first chance at a double ton.

After also making a half century in the opening match, Green said getting “two starts” was the perfect way to start his season.

But he was happy to say his 197 was one of the innings he was most proud of given the quality of the NSW attack, which included Test spinner Nathan Lyon.

“It’s probably the innings I am most proud of, especially how hard they came all day really,” Green said, having batted through all of day three and part of days two and four.

“Understanding the pitch was pretty flat, and in the batter’s favour, they came pretty hard. I’ll take a lot out of it.”

Green threw his head back when he was given out LBW, and suggested that he “may have” hit it.

His teammate Ashton Agar, who knows a bit about hype having become a hero after making 98 on Test debut in the 2013 Ashes, said he hoped people didn’t put too much pressure on Green.

“It would be hard not to hear a lot of hype because there is a bit of hype around him. But all I know is that when he‘s out on the cricket field he’s watching that ball as hard as he can,” he said.

“The scary part is he‘s not even bowling at the moment, and he’s a great bowler when he’s up and running. So to be able to play as a top four batsman and a fast bowler is a great combination.”

The match turned into a last day slog-a-thon early too as WA tailender Matt Kelly slammed seven fours and seven sixes, including back-to-back sixes off Lyon.

Kelly smashed 89 off 88 balls in an attempt to try to give his team some sort of lead, but it proved futile as NSW batted through the middle session, losing just two wickets, before the captains agreed to shake hands.

Originally published as Cricket: Boom batsman Cameron Green falls agonisingly short of his first 200

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Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-boom-batsmen-cameron-green-fell-agonisligys-short-of-the-his-first-200-as-teamates-declared-they-dont-think-the-hype-will-get-to-him/news-story/8092b8f89c33a523b13e0953a35e5b6a