The Jarvis Delahey Crushers made the highest score in Goulburn Valley Bush Bash League history at the weekend and plenty of that came on the back of one man’s salvo at the top of the order.
Ethan Brookes swashbuckled his way to 63 from 29 deliveries at Deakin Reserve on Sunday, smashing the pill to all parts of the ground and putting SRP Mud Dogs’ bowlers to the sword.
He set the stage for the middle-order to swing the arms and at one stage the Crushers looked set to soar past 200 with a few overs in hand before the Mud Dogs pegged them back to a total of 193 from their 20 overs.
The Englishman, who’s been in Australia for seven weeks and is playing at Prahran, said he was loving the chance to come up to Shepparton and line up for the Crushers.
Brookes, who is from Birmingham and plays for Warwickshire, looked a class above on Deakin Reserve, surprising most of the 100-strong crowd when he holed out to cow corner, about the first mistake he’d made all day.
“It was really good to get out there and play with a bit of freedom. It’s a new competition, I’ve not played it before, but it felt good to express myself,” he said.
“It was good, I really enjoyed it. I said halfway through (my innings) I just tried to close my eyes and swing so I got a bit of luck.”
Brookes made ample use of the ramp shot, sending several shots down to fine leg off pace and spin bowlers.
“That’s the thing I go to, especially if fine leg’s up, I can back myself in to hit that one. I practised it quite a lot last winter.”
Brookes will be back for the second and third rounds of the GVBBL, but will fly out of the country before the final should the Crushers make it.