There’s an element to Harrish Kannan’s cricketing DNA that unambiguously sets him apart from others.
The teenager has a mature head on green shoulders and obtains an innate ability to perform in difficult situations.
Saturday’s 98 against Melbourne Uni may be his highest Victorian Premier Cricket score, but it’s hardly the first time he has dug the Swans out of a hole.
In last summer’s season opener, Kannan strolled to the crease against the then reigning premiers (Prahran) at 2/48 and carved out a dazzling 77 that ultimately steered his side to victory.
On Saturday, his knock – albeit agonisingly short of his maiden century – came after he was welcomed to the crease at 2/15.
It’s a simple equation: when the going gets tough, Kannan gets going.
“He’s a fighter, he’s determined and I don’t think he lets too much bother him,” Casey South Melbourne coach Will Carr said of Kannan.
“I think he’s focused on his game and what he needs to do, so I don’t think the situation impacts the way he goes about things.
“Instead he just focuses on the next ball and plays it the way he sees it, he’s got the things he’s working on and is focusing on those, so I don’t think he allows too much outside noise distract him.
“He’s travelling beautifully, he’s on the right trajectory – internally we know how he’s going so we’re not overly surprised with how he’s started.
“He’s probably played more, or as much, cricket as anyone with the under-19 stuff and he went up to the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.
“For him to start the season the way he did on Saturday and then follow it up with a handy innings on Sunday is tremendous for him.”
Kannan’s 98 punched the Swans to 9/207, which eventually proved too strong for the Students to chase.
On Sunday, Kannan made another 31 for the Swans in their total set against St Kilda.
Casey South Melbourne set a tremendous 7/227 to only be denied in the final over.
It was a difficult pill to swallow for Carr, as he believes they were the better side for 95 per cent of the day.
“The guys were pretty flat, we didn’t talk too much about it because a lot would’ve got lost in translation,” he said.
“The general message was that it’ll sting, but we know we played 95 per cent of the game were the better side, we will take the positives once the dust settles.
“We move on knowing we have played a pretty solid weekend of cricket first up.”
The Swans travel to Windy Hill this Saturday to take on Essendon, while Kannan will represent Victoria Metro in this December’s Under-19 National Carnival.
