Batsman tonk 302 in 40 over game
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 4:08 pmTHE impressive part for Josh Platt was how many cricket balls they fetched from the long grass once he'd dispatched them there.
"The amount of times it went into the paddock next to the ground, every time they managed to come back with it," Platt said.
"I was surprised they only lost the one."
Everyone else at Young North Oval last weekend, it must be noted, was far more impressed with Platt; a battling country cricketer soon to be known the Tendulkar of the bush.
In a 40-over game last Saturday for the Young Blues against cross-town rivals Young Power, Platt scored an astonishing 302 from just 110 balls.Scorekeepers could only shake their head as the 27-year-old clattered 30 sixes - most into the paddock - for 180 runs, and 18 boundaries.
Platt's first century came after 15 overs, and his double just seven overs later.The Blues scored 3-458 in 40 overs and unsurprisingly, snuck home against the Power.
"To be honest mate, I just got my eye in after the first 10 balls. I was seeing them like basketballs," Platt told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. "I just lucky too I suppose. I had a chance on 180."
But wait ... the story only gets better. Platt is not even a batsman. He's a fast bowler, who normally takes the new ball for both the Blues and the Young senior rep team.
But with one of the Blues' opening batsman injured, and his replacement running late for the 1pm start, Platt - a middle order blade at best - was told to pad up and fill in.
No worries, thought Platt. He hit a six first ball.
"Me and my mate, my opening partner, we went in said: "If we play sensible, we can get hundreds here today"," Platt said.
"That was the plan."
His partner would score 91 but Platt was hitting them so flush he realised his innings could be Stick Cricket-big. By the time Platt blinked he was 50 and the Power's pace attack kept putting the ball in his zone.
"I had a couple of young quicks bowling and they just kept trying to hit me in the head," he said.
"I love the pull-shot mate, so I just hooked and pulled most of my sixes I think."
A kiddy oval and rubbish bowlers, right? Neither, said Young cricket official Luke Eldridge.
The Power's quicks were rep-standard and other than one short boundary, the ground is "a decent size", he said.
In 80 senior matches of Young cricket on that oval and three others last summer, there wasn't a single century.
The only hundred was scored in a seven-a-side game - by Josh Platt.
Eldridge arrived late on Saturday to watch Platt, but only saw him swat his last six and then come off.
"He wasn't even sweating," Eldridge said. "He goes: 'I didn't do a great deal of running mate'."
Platt, a young father and machinery spare parts man, backed up to take 3-15 the next day opening the bowling for Young the next day against Cootamundra.
In time it will change, but Platt can barely register his triple-century achievement, or the attention he's getting.
Right now Platt empathises more with the Power's bowlers.
"They were all a bit disheartened after the first 10-12 overs, to be honest," he says.
"It was a long day for the poor buggers."
"The amount of times it went into the paddock next to the ground, every time they managed to come back with it," Platt said.
"I was surprised they only lost the one."
Everyone else at Young North Oval last weekend, it must be noted, was far more impressed with Platt; a battling country cricketer soon to be known the Tendulkar of the bush.
In a 40-over game last Saturday for the Young Blues against cross-town rivals Young Power, Platt scored an astonishing 302 from just 110 balls.Scorekeepers could only shake their head as the 27-year-old clattered 30 sixes - most into the paddock - for 180 runs, and 18 boundaries.
Platt's first century came after 15 overs, and his double just seven overs later.The Blues scored 3-458 in 40 overs and unsurprisingly, snuck home against the Power.
"To be honest mate, I just got my eye in after the first 10 balls. I was seeing them like basketballs," Platt told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. "I just lucky too I suppose. I had a chance on 180."
But wait ... the story only gets better. Platt is not even a batsman. He's a fast bowler, who normally takes the new ball for both the Blues and the Young senior rep team.
But with one of the Blues' opening batsman injured, and his replacement running late for the 1pm start, Platt - a middle order blade at best - was told to pad up and fill in.
No worries, thought Platt. He hit a six first ball.
"Me and my mate, my opening partner, we went in said: "If we play sensible, we can get hundreds here today"," Platt said.
"That was the plan."
His partner would score 91 but Platt was hitting them so flush he realised his innings could be Stick Cricket-big. By the time Platt blinked he was 50 and the Power's pace attack kept putting the ball in his zone.
"I had a couple of young quicks bowling and they just kept trying to hit me in the head," he said.
"I love the pull-shot mate, so I just hooked and pulled most of my sixes I think."
A kiddy oval and rubbish bowlers, right? Neither, said Young cricket official Luke Eldridge.
The Power's quicks were rep-standard and other than one short boundary, the ground is "a decent size", he said.
In 80 senior matches of Young cricket on that oval and three others last summer, there wasn't a single century.
The only hundred was scored in a seven-a-side game - by Josh Platt.
Eldridge arrived late on Saturday to watch Platt, but only saw him swat his last six and then come off.
"He wasn't even sweating," Eldridge said. "He goes: 'I didn't do a great deal of running mate'."
Platt, a young father and machinery spare parts man, backed up to take 3-15 the next day opening the bowling for Young the next day against Cootamundra.
In time it will change, but Platt can barely register his triple-century achievement, or the attention he's getting.
Right now Platt empathises more with the Power's bowlers.
"They were all a bit disheartened after the first 10-12 overs, to be honest," he says.
"It was a long day for the poor buggers."