James Seymour’s impressive 60 on Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria v South Australia does not surprise Bushrangers coaches

STAR Waratah allrounder James Seymour scoring 60 on his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria certainly did not surprise the Bushrangers’ coaching staff.

Star Waratah allrounder James Seymour raises his bat after scoring 50 for Victoria during day two of the Sheffield Shield match between the Bushrangers and South Australia at Junction Oval. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

STAR Waratah allrounder James Seymour scoring 60 off 123 balls on his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria certainly did not surprise the Bushrangers’ coaching staff.

Seymour’s half-century in his maiden first-class innings was one of the few shining lights as the Vics were 7-201 in reply to South Australia’s 333 at stumps on day two at CitiPower Centre, St Kilda.

Seymour is the second leading run scorer in Premier Cricket this season, having struck 822 runs for his club Essendon, including three centuries, at an average of 91.

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“James has been a leading runscorer in Premier Cricket for a number of seasons now and has earned this opportunity through his consistent form,” Victorian chairman of selectors Andrew Lynch said.

And Seymour has never been short on confidence that he would excel at first-class level once given the opportunity.

He scored five fifties and took 24 wickets for Essendon in Victoria Premier Grade in the 2019-20 season.

“It was disappointing I didn’t play at that higher level because I had a good summer, and I played well with the Second XI,” Seymour told the NT News in September last year, before helping Waratah to a 94-run win over Palmerston in the 2020 Premier Grade Final.

He scored a crucial 67 off 96 balls opening the batting in that game.

“It (playing at first-class level) gets harder to get picked as you get older,” Seymour said.

“We’ll see what happens. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, I know I haven’t left a stone unturned and given it my best shot.”

Seymour excelled and scored three hundreds for Waratah in a COVID-interrupted season last year, with each game a one-dayer.

“It would’ve been nice to play some red-ball cricket and have the opportunity to bat longer,” he said.

“But I’m pretty happy I scored three hundreds this season (including 112 off 73 balls against the Darwin Districts Invitational XI in the CDU Top End T20).”