It’s time for our A2’s mid-season review.
Much like last season, the A2’s made an ordinary start, winning their 1st two matches before dropping the next three to find themselves 2-3 & out of the Top 4 after five rounds. From there, however, the Echidnas got going & now find themselves 5-3-1 at the break, sitting in 3rd & a game & a half clear of 5th place.
There were plenty of highlights, particularly:-
• Connor Burgess scoring his 2nd & 3rd career centuries – 100* from 117 balls at Echunga & 111 from 120 at the Hill against Hahndorf. Whilst Connor was not the youngest centurion in club history with his century at Echunga last season (that record is held by Brian “Sting” Nettle who scored 124 in A Grade in 1961 against Nairne aged 16 years & 1 month), Connor is undoubtedly the 1st player in WCC history to score three (3) centuries before his 18th birthday;
• Jordan Grooby scoring a career-high 94* in that same match against Hahndorf, during which Groobs & Connor put on 211 for the 1st wicket – a record 1st wicket partnership for all grades other than A’s in WCC history;
• The Echidnas’ bowling fighting back after Hahndorf were 3/180 in pursuit of 247 in the same match, to trigger a 7/44 collapse (and Declan Bell’s direct hit runout from the boundary);
• Tim Chynoweth building on his performance in last season’s GF to establish himself as an important middle order player at A2’s level with 177 runs at an average of just below 30 & an impressive strike rate of 90, including an unbeaten 55 from 53 balls against Echunga (his 1st Wistow half century);
• Ryan Watt’s 5/24 in the opening round against Ashbourne (his 1st Michelle), setting him up for a strong 1st half featuring 16 wkts @ 13.44 including 4/26 in the next meeting against the Bulls;
• All eleven (11) players remarkably recording a catch or run out in a match against Mt Barker;
• Characteristic strong bowling performances against Ashbourne (all out for 96 including a collapse of 8/30), Mt Barker (106, collapse of 6/22) & Ashbourne again (104, collapse of 5/21) & a strong fightback against the then undefeated Lobethal to successfully defend a total of 171;
• Somewhat uncharacteristically strong batting performances with every completed innings being in excess of 150 (despite several occasions when no batter has reached 30) with highlights being the 1/203 against Echunga & 1/246 against Hahndorf;
• The continued youth movement with the A2’s regularly fielding seven (7) players aged 21 or under; and
• Skipper Harrison Burgess & Connor playing a couple of matches together with their father, Greg.
First Half MVP
With an honorable mention to Ryan Watt, yours truly’s vote goes to Connor Burgess whose batting continues to grow from week to week. After narrowly winning the Association A2 Batting Aggregate last season, Con is again pacing the Comp at the break, with 415 runs @ 59.29, 87 runs ahead of 2nd place & 138 runs ahead of 3rd. It’s easy to forget he’s still only 17!!
