By David Nagel
Three absolute superstars of the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association (CCCA) turned grey skies into a glorious sunset on Saturday on a memorable day of Premier Division action.
Pakenham’s Chris Smith (229 not out) broke personal, club and league records against Devon Meadows; while at the same time Kooweerup’s Shiran Rathnayake (160 not out) became the number-one player in the competition; becoming the first batter to crack the 600-run milestone this season.
Meanwhile, down at Clyde, Tooradin jet Tom Hussey (116) reminded everyone of his sublime skills with his first century in almost three years.
For those who love their horse racing; it was akin to having Black Caviar, Winx and Makybe Diva all win easily at different venues on the same day.
Smith and Hussey have already earned the title as the best player in the competition over their cricketing journeys; while Rathnayake might already have pinned that accolade to his chest in his first season at Denhams Road.
We’re talking the cream of the crop here; three players that have all had magnificent careers.
Smith’s overall journey – that is heading towards 10,000 Premier Division runs – will be highlighted in a different story on a different page this week, but his innings against Devon Meadows on the weekend was absolutely sublime.
He gave a gilt-edged chance to first-slip, when 27 off 30 balls, and survived a difficult missed stumping when 185 off 196.
They were the only chances in a 235-ball masterclass, that led the Lions to 6/397 and a certain position in this year’s finals series.
Rain delayed the start of play at Glover Reserve, with Devon Meadows skipper Lucas Ligt deciding to bowl first as cloud-cover began to lift overhead.
It was a decision that sort of made sense at the time; to get the new ball moving around, but was in the end a decision that would forever be embedded in the record books.
Smith and Pakenham skipper Jack Anning (26) strode to the crease and were positive from the outset, with Anning initially outscoring the champ in the early overs.
Smith gradually worked into gear and by the time tea was taken, after 18 overs, Anning had departed, with Smith on 53 not out and joined by Jason Williams (56) in the middle.
The pair put on 128 for the second wicket, with Smith crunching 12 fours in their union, that only ended after Williams was run out with a direct throw after he pushed into the covers and took off for a quick single.
Smith and Williams were in total command at the time and it took a freak piece of fielding to end their dominance.
Stuart Johnson (0) then came and went in a hurry before Dom Paynter (47) joined a rampant Smith in the middle, who was on 122 at the time.
The pair put on 113 runs in just 19 overs to keep the ball rolling, with Smith on 182 when Paynter and Nick Sadler (2) both fell to Panthers’ leg-spinner Ben Marsh (3/98 off 20) in the same over.
Smith was then joined at the crease by his ‘good-luck charm’ Sendhil Naidu (19), who was in the middle with the now 34-year-old when he made his second-consecutive double-century against Cardinia at Gunton Oval on February 24 last year.
Just as he had done earlier to bring up his 150, Smith brought up the third double-century of his career – all in the last 12 months – with a thumping six over the square-leg boundary.
He dropped his right knee and produced a slog-sweep off Marsh that would live in his heart forever.
Three double centuries in 15 innings…quite incredible really!
He then cruised past his previous best of 214 not out with a celebratory dance and lofted straight drive for four.
The very next ball he produced another slog-sweep for six that almost ended the party.
After 20 years of senior cricket; Chris Smith had just set a new benchmark in an already incredible career!
Marsh was the pick of the bowlers for the Panthers, while Mitchell Kleinig (1/100 off 24) can still hold his head high after joining Smith as a triple-figure performer on the day.
At Upper Beaconsfield (1/40), Kooweerup (5/276 declared) can thank its star-recruit Rathnayake for batting the Demons into a powerful position against the Maroons.
The wristy-right-hander was at his imperious best, only hitting nine fours and one six in an innings that showcased his ability to pierce the field brilliantly with his placement.
It was a key feature of his play in his two match-winning half-centuries for the CCCA Country Week team in the build up to Saturday’s innings.
Rathnayake only played twice during Country Week; with both resulting in wins…before work commitments at a new job halted both his and the team’s magnificent form.
The 29-year-old has been a revelation in his first season in the CCCA since making the switch from Phillip Island.
He made over 500 runs and took 32 wickets for Phillip Island last year, with Kooweerup President Matt Davey putting the feelers out to see if the spinner/top-order-bat would be interested in making the move.
It was a call that Davey and the Demons would be more than happy to pay a high-price for right now!
Rathnayake has been brilliant for Kooweerup this season, with his best-of-the-season 160 not out on Saturday eclipsing previous scores of 102, 61, 58, 49, 47, 44 and 43.
He now leads the competition with 602 runs, 39 clear of his teammate Chris Bright (563) and exactly 100 ahead of Pakenham’s record-breaker Smith (502).
He also sits fourth on the wicket-taking list, with 21 poles, and would now have to be a short-priced favourite to take out the Terry Stephenson Medal as the best player in Premier Division this season.
No other player sits top-10 in both categories.
Rathnayake and Mitch Davey (73) were the stars for the Demons on the weekend, after Maroons’ spinner Andrew McDonald (3/78 off 26) made early inroads with the new ball.
McDonald had Bright (1), Luke McMaster (4) and Rob Maskiell (7) all back in their ‘Civies’ in a hurry, while Will Haines (1/40) claimed the wicket of Cody Miller (20) to leave the Demons in trouble at 4/75.
Rathnayake and Davey then steadied the ship with a fantastic 201-run partnership from just 29 overs at the crease.
Davey, who showcased his talents with a double-century in A Grade earlier this season, slammed four balls to the boundary and three flying over the ropes.
The speed of their partnership allowed skipper Bright to declare and have 17 overs at the Maroons in the lead up to stumps.
Jess Mathers (1/14) claimed the wicket of AJ Claxton early, but the Maroons would be feeling content after Marcus Gehling (21 not out off 52 balls) and Josh Westra (8 not out off 32) showed true grit to survive against a high-quality bowling attack.
The Maroons, particularly Ben Amos, showed enormous resilience against Pakenham last week and appear determined to take the Demons all the way once again.
One of the all-time greats of WGCA/CCCA cricket wound back the clock on Saturday with Tom Hussey (116) guiding his beloved Tooradin (9/349) to an impregnable position against Clyde.
Hussey, formerly the number-one top-order bat in the competition, was back to his brilliant best after enjoying a return to the top of the order.
The elegant right-hander has become an ‘insurance policy’ for the Seagulls in recent years, with the 36-year-old happy to step out of the spotlight to let a plethora of emerging talent shine through.
But it was time for the champ to stand up and be fully prepared for the Seagulls’ quest for back-to-back premierships this year.
Just one round after fellow stalwart Russell Lehman (117) capitalised on his return to prominence, Hussey stole the show, making his 13th century for the Seagulls since making his debut for the club in 2011.
He has now made 5589 runs at the impressive average of a tick over 42; a genuine pass-mark for any champions’ career.
Saturday’s century was his first since making an identical score (116) against Carlisle Park on March 5, 2022.
Seagulls’ openers Josh Lownds (52) and Cal O’Hare (37) staved off the danger of Ankush Rana (1/55) on Saturday, with the Clyde quick the leading wicket-taker in Premier Division this season.
That laid the platform for a dynamic afternoon of batting with Hussey and young-gun Tyler Evans (75) working together beautifully.
The pair put on 161 for the fourth wicket, with Hussey whacking 12 fours and an enterprising six, while Evans hit five to the boundary and one maximum.
The youngster, who held his own at his Country Week debut, has now made back-to-back half centuries after making his maiden fifty – 67 not out – against Merinda Park last week.
Praveen Perera (3/78) and Nick Miles (2/15) were the multiple wicket-takers for the Cougars; who need to chase down the imposing total to keep their season alive.
The final game of round 13, Cardinia v Merinda Park, will be played as a one-dayer this week after no play was decided due to rain.
