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Calmore Sports' all-rounder Hibberd impressing in Melbourne
Mike Vimpany - 15 February 2001
Promising Calmore Sports all-rounder James Hibberd is creating a wicket-taking stir in the demanding arena of Melbourne First Grade cricket.
Bowling medium-pace seam-up, Hibberd revelled in a career-best spell of 6-20 playing for mid-table Brunswick against Coburg in the Victoria A Grade competition last weekend.
It took Hibberd's winter haul to 22 wickets - no mean achievement for the former Hampshire Young Cricketer, who is only a change bowler for Calmore in the ECB Southern Premier League.
"Things have gone pretty well for me in Australia," reflected Hibberd, 20, who lives in Sholing, near Southampton.
"I've scored 280 runs, including one knock of 80, but I've been working hard on my fitness - which will amaze a few people at Calmore."
Hampshire 2nd XI coach Tony Middleton praises Hibberd's achievements.
"It is very difficult for any English club cricketer to get into the A Grade stream in Australia - let alone succeed in it," Middlton commented.
Hibberd, whose father Dave was an oustanding pace bowler for Deanery in the 1970s, says he is following a strict "early-to-bed, early to rise" routine in his winter Melbourne quarters.
"I am in the swimming pool at 6 o'clock every morning and training twice a day in the gym. Needless to say, I'm a lot trimmer than last summer," he said.
Hibberd returns home at Easter, determined to make an impression for Calmore in the Southern Premier League.
"We finished runners-up last season and, with a season's experience under our belts, will be looking to go one better this summer," he said.
© SPCL
| Teams | England. |
| Players/Umpires | Tony Middleton. |
| Tournaments | Southern Premier League |
| Season | English Domestic Season |