It will be hard for Tyler McGladdery to let go, but all good things must come to an end.
McGladdery will return home to England at the end of his first summer with Wyndham Vale to resume duties with Lancashire’s under-19 team.
The experience of playing on foreign soil has been invaluable for the left-handed opening batsman and he will check in for his return flight in the coming weeks a better cricketer, a more independent person and with a much longer list of Facebook friends.
Before then, McGladdery has a chance to leave a lasting impression at Wyndham Vale.
Two massive games – this Saturday’s continuation of the penultimate round against second-placed St Andrews and the last round clash with ladder-leader Altona Roosters – stand between the seventh-placed Falcons and a finals berth.
Sitting three spots outside the top four is not where the Falcons envisaged themselves being at the start of the season.
But the backs-against-the-wall side has a chance to redeem itself against the current two power clubs.
McGladdery has hit a century and two half-centuries for the Falcons but he and his teammates are to be put under the microscope.
“We’ve lost points at key moments in the season and it’s probably cost us a bit,” McGladdery said. “It’s annoying that it’s boiled down to the fact we’ve got to win three days of cricket out of three.
“We could’ve made it easier on ourselves but I think we’re the sort of team that can do it and will turn up when it counts most.”
Whenever a club brings in an import, it expects a certain level of play and 19-year-old McGladdery has delivered.
“I’ve found my game a little bit over here,” he said. “It was good to get a 100 [against Sunshine Heights] and prove myself to my teammates as well.”
It has not all been plain sailing for McGladdery. The boy from Burnley had a bit of a chuckle when he recalled a game against Kingsville Baptists in November. It was just his third game with the club and he managed to get himself run out twice in a day.
“It wasn’t funny at the time but I have a laugh about it looking back now,” McGladdery said.
After five months away, McGladdery understandably misses home, particularly family and friends.
But he will miss Melbourne and the new friends he has made at Wyndham Vale.
“It’s not just about the cricket now like it was at the start – I’ve got the social aspect of the club now,” McGladdery said.
McGladdery has not ruled out a return to Wyndham Vale next summer, but his dream is to play first class county cricket with Lancashire.
“Playing with the Lancs under 19s, you’re surrounded by players who have the same aspirations,” he said. “Everyone is fighting it out, you’re under pressure to score runs all the time, so it’s been nice to drop back down to club level for the past five months and to show your skills and try to dominate at that level.”
Wyndham Vale holds the aces against St Andrews after the opening day at Wyndham Vale Reserve. The Falcons will resume on 0-13 on Saturday in search of the Saints’ first-innings score of 181.
McGladdery has been a mark of consistency for Wyndham Vale this season.
He has produced 352 runs at 39.1 to sit second in the competition batting aggregate and chipped in with five catches in the field.
“I came off after the run out in the first innings and said to the boys that I haven’t been run out in about three seasons, then I batted three hours later in the second innings and got run out again.”
He is also looking forward to seeing out how much his cricket has improved when he returns to Lancashire for the English summer.
“Everyone at the club is brilliant, right from the top at the president down to the juniors.”
“When I go home it’s going to be 50-50, I’m looking forward to going home, but as soon as I leave here, I would’ve left another set of mates now.”
