Debuting in the late 90’s during an era when the Club was stacked with bowling options in each grade, Isaac’s journey is one of steady perseverance, as he spent his first three seasons of senior cricket solely in C Grade, collecting 19, 22 and 33 wickets across the 1999/00 to 2001/02 seasons, as he would also win the C Grade Bowling trophy in each of the 2000/01 and 2001/02 seasons.
From there, he progressed to B Grade for the next two seasons and unfortunately, B Grade stats are largely missing for those two seasons, however, he would continue to progress, ultimately making his A Grade debut late in the 2003/04 season, collecting 3/46 from 12 overs against Hahndorf on debut.
A right arm seam bowler with an unusual action, Isaac would go on to become an A Grade regular for the next three seasons, largely as a first change bowler, taking 20 wickets in each of the 2004/05 and 2006/07 seasons and winning the A Grade Bowling Average trophy in both of those seasons (11.70 in 2004/05 and 16.50 in 2006/07). He was also a member of the 2004/05 A Grade Premiership team, playing a major role in the SF with 3/17 from 7 overs and whilst he went wicketless in the GF, he bowled tightly, conceding just 16 runs from 8 overs.
Retiring as a regular player after the 2006/07 season, Isaac returned to play a handful of games in the 2010/11 and 2012/13 seasons before hanging up the whites for good.
Incredibly for a player who took over 150 wickets for the club, Isaac only took one five wicket haul in his career, however, it was a dominant one (he would take 4 wickets on at least 10 occasions). After missing the start of the 2006/07 season, presumably through injury, he returned through the C Grade in Round 7, collecting a tidy 1/21 from 8 overs before moving on to B Grade the following week where he would collect a lazy 8/49 from 26 overs, including 9 maidens. Perhaps even more incredibly, Isaac largely played a loan hand as despite collecting 8/49, the opponent (Macclesfield) would make 206. In any event, it was enough to earn him an immediate recall to the A’s, where he would collect 4, 3 and 3 wickets in his first three matches back in A Grade.
All told, Isaac officially played 85 matches (including 29 in A Grade) but given the missing B Grade scorecards, he almost certainly played a little over 100 matches for the club. He collected at least 154 wickets (which is in the top 20 in club history) at a miserly career average of 14.28 (9th lowest in club history and 3rd lowest in the modern era). In A Grade, he took 55 wickets in 29 matches at a very good average of 16.33. Whilst batting was not a strength, scoring just 292 runs at 7.82, he was a reliable fielder, taking 31 catches and winning the C Grade Most Catches trophy in his debut season.
Well done Isaac.
