BRBB: Badgers’ teenage legspinner turns heads with magic spell

He is one of the youngest players in the Barrier Reef Big Bash but rising legspinner Aidan Beach didn’t take long to make an impact.

He is one of the youngest players in the Barrier Reef Big Bash but rising legspinner Aidan Beach didn’t take long to make an impact.

The 15-year-old tweaker was a standout in the first match of the new Twenty20 tournament at Griffiths Park on Friday night, playing a key role as the Badgers defeated the Hurricanes by 55 runs.

Beach was brought into the attack by Badgers’ skipper Jake Roach in the 14th over, with the Hurricanes reeling at 4-50 and desperate to score.

It could have gone either of two ways, with accomplished cricketers Barry Weare and Mark Ellis at the crease for the Hurricanes.

Barrier Reef Big Bash Game 1: Badgers v Hurricanes at Griffiths Park. Badgers bowler Aidan Beach and keeper Angus Warnock successfully appeal the LBW wicket of Hurricanes' Barry Weare. Picture: Stewart McLean

But Beach was undaunted as he produced a memorable spell, the teen leggie taking match-best figures of 3-11 from his three overs, including a rare T20 maiden.

“The plan for me was just to try and learn a lot, maybe get a couple of overs in and field,” Beach said.

“I didn’t expect to take three (wickets), maybe one — a lucky one caught on the boundary or stumped or something — but not three.

“It feels pretty good.”

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Beach made his first-grade debut for Mulgrave this summer, just two weeks after his 15th birthday last November.

Roach, who plays alongside the right-arm spinner at Mulgrave, said Beach showed his class for a 15-year-old.

“He’s been around the senior set-up at Mulgrave for two years now, but we’ve had big wraps on him coming through the junior system,” he said.

“He started training with the ones a couple of years ago and he’s getting coached by a couple of the leggies that we’ve got, Dan Kendrick and Billy Oches, and now he’s just bringing it all into games.

Barrier Reef Big Bash Game 1: Badgers v Hurricanes at Griffiths Park. Badgers 'Jake Roach. Picture: Stewart McLean

“He’s got a very mature head for a young fella.”

Roach said he did not expect to use Beach in the way he did on Friday night, but the opportunity arose.

“It was more for the experience and just getting him out there,” he said.

“Spin won it and he’s a good leggie, so I thought why not, and he dominated in the three overs he bowled.”

Barrier Reef Big Bash Game 1: Badgers v Hurricanes at Griffiths Park. Badgers' Rhys Camilleri. Picture: Stewart McLean

Angus Warnock (32) and Rhys Camilleri (42 not out) laid the platform for the Badgers’ victory, while Roach (2-2) and Brodie Deverell (2-7) were a force with the ball.

Roach said the new T20 tournament was “unreal”.

“It’s what Cairns cricket has been looking for for ages,” he said.

“Hopefully we can get more day/night or night cricket, especially if it brings a crowd like this. I haven’t seen anything like it and with the junior games on before it, it really helps out.”

Hurricanes skipper Michael Salerno also championed the initiative.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this and to get to play in the first game, it’s pretty special,” he said.

Thunder takes on the Dare Devils on Friday night.

Originally published as BRBB: Badgers’ teenage legspinner turns heads with magic spell