Amid Saturday’s carnage, Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association team Werribee may have unearthed a future star in off-spinner Tom Duxson.
The bulk of the Tigers’ bowlers – but not 16-year-old, second-gamer Duxson – had been dispatched with ease by Yarraville gun Matthew Love (130no) and hard-hitting tail-ender Patrick Prestidge (59).
PICTURE GALLERY: Werribee v Yarraville
For the second time in as many games, Duxson proved a calming influence, stemming the flow of runs on a batsman-friendly deck.
Duxson, who spent most of last summer in the third XI, finished with an impressive 2-36 off 17 overs, including the prized scalp of former Tiger David Wolfe.
Tigers’ skipper Shaun Dean has been impressed with Duxson’s composure during key moments of his first two outings.
“He doesn’t get too flustered at all,” Dean told Star Weekly. “If he gets hit, he gets hit, but he hasn’t really been hit too many times in the last two weeks.”
Duxson has a couple of traits with his bowling that should stand him in good stead. He’s blessed with good height, making an awkward release point for the batsmen to pick up his deliveries, and he gets good drift away from right-handers, coaxing them to flail outside off stump before the ball spins back into the stumps after gripping the pitch.
“He’s hard to judge; he almost bowls slow- drift out-swing, but it can come back at you if he gets a bit of grip,” Dean said.
“At that age, it’s good to have those sort of skills.”
Werribee will be chasing a hefty 284 for victory. Given the rare dimensions of the Yarraville Oval and a similar flat deck and fast outfield, the Tigers will be confident of chasing the target down.
“It looks a big total, but it was a really flat wicket and there was a very short side of their ground towards the grandstand,” Dean said.
“All they did was target that boundary. They were getting a half-bat on it and it was just sailing over the fence. At one stage we had four blokes on that one boundary and we were jumping up on the fence trying to catch it and they were just getting it over.
“It’s not even the old saying if we bat 80, we’ll get them. If we bat to our potential, it won’t take us 80 overs; it’ll be less than that.”
Jonathan Burton returned to the Tigers’ line-up for the first time this summer. He was the pick of the quicks with an economical 2-46 off 19 overs, including eight maidens. “He tied them down,” Dean said.
“Even at the end, I brought him back for the last three overs because everyone was copping a bit, but he was one who stemmed the flow.”
James Freeman finished with 1-72 off 18, but the pitch offered little guidance to his style of bowling. Heath Pritchard continued his impressive start with 2-71 off 17, including the removal of both Yarraville openers.
