Matthew Mott's Postcards

THURSDAY 18 JANUARY 2001
Matthew Mott on the Bushrangers' stirring Pura Cup revival

I am pleased to report that the Bushrangers have rediscovered their winning ways and we are looking forward to the business end of the season. Everyone around the place is buzzing after our huge win in Perth last week.

Our Pura Cup cricket is on fire of late; outright points have come against South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. Whilst we haven't won in the Mercantile Mutual lately, we have been improving game by game after a dismal start.

Brad Hodge has continued his amazing form with the bat and has now scored well over six hundred runs. He was rewarded with selection in the Australia 'A' team to take on the Windies. If Hodgey continues this sort of form he will give the Australian selectors something to think about when they sit down to discuss the Ashes touring party.

Mathew Inness was also selected in the Australia 'A' side much to the delight of all members of the squad who admire his amazing work ethic and perseverance. Min has had to fight his way into the side over the last couple of years. Even though his record has been exceptional during this time, he has often missed out because of our bowling depth. Instead of being frustrated, he has gone about his business and worked even harder. Now that he believes he belongs, he has proved unstoppable against some of the best top orders around the country.

Shane Warne's return in Perth is something of which I was very pleased to be a part. After the one-day game - where Warney got three wickets - he copped some flak in the papers, in which it was a little unfairly suggested that he didn't bowl well and that his wickets were given to him. Being the champion that he is, he used this to fire himself up and bowled us to an historic victory with nine wickets on a relatively flat WACA wicket. I was lucky enough to be fielding in close and watched, from those quarters, a master at work. Without any great assistance in the way of spin from the pitch, he used every part of his extensive armoury to beguile the Warriors batsmen.

On the rise and growing in confidence is fast bowler 'Mad Mick' Lewis who has surprised many with his raw pace since his arrival last year in state cricket. Not one to take a backward step, Mick has successfully got under the skin of more than a few batsmen in the competition. It is not what he says, but rather the look he gets on his face that unsettles even the most experienced players. A few bowlers will say "I'm going to kill you" at various times but, when Mick says it, it seems horribly more realistic. He also provides the attack with sting, and now that he has improved his consistency and his ability to take the ball way from the right handers, I'm sure he will continue to be a handful for years to come.

It was great to see Damien Fleming bowl so well for Australia 'A' against the Windies in Adelaide the other day. Unselfishly, Damien decided to withdraw from the Perth Pura Cup game because he wasn't one hundred per cent sure he would get through. He has had an unlucky start to the year with injuries and he is desperate to get back playing for the Bushrangers and ultimately Australia.

Jason Arnberger has continued to be a quiet achiever this year with an average in the mid forty's and close to five hundred runs for the season. Apparently Arnie was a hit with the West Indians because of the way he plays the game. Brian Lara approached a couple of us to get Arnie's shirt as a present for reserve wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, who kept mimicking the hooks and cut shots he played against them in his 99 in the tour match.

On a personal front, the form has been consistent without being startling. I have had some encouraging scores in Pura Cup cricket but, as yet, I haven't converted anything into a big hundred. I feel really good at the moment so hopefully I can come home with a wet sail towards the end of the season. I always tend to play better as the season goes on, so I am feeling confident I can do my part to get us a home final, which we all desperately crave.

Disappointingly, I am not currently a part of the Mercantile one-day side, purely and simply because I did not make enough runs. Naturally, I was very pleased to then get the opportunity to play against the Aussies at Junction Oval the other day. I hope to use the encouraging 54 as a springboard back into the one-day side. It was amazing to see over eight thousand fans turn up to watch the game and see us go within two runs of knocking off the world champions even if it was just an exercise in fine-tuning for them for the upcoming Carlton Series.

All players have an opportunity to show their one-day skills on Saturday when Premier Cricket goes to the country - my club, the Frankston-Peninsula Heat, take on St Kilda in Shepparton. All district clubs play in the country to help develop the game outside the metropolitan area. It is something to which everyone looks forward; it is a chance to get everyone together as most teams will stay at least one night in the town.

Well, that's it for now. I look forward to reporting back in the next few weeks with some Mercantile success in January as we take on the Warriors at the MCG on the 16th, the Bulls at the 'Gabba on the 19th and the return match at the MCG on the 26th.

Until then, take it easy.

Matthew

More Postcards 16 November 2000 Matthew Mott comments on the Bushrangers' early struggles and the lingering curse of the 'Dak' 25 October 2000 The 2000/2001 season is underway and a few cobwebs are out of the closet, says Victoria’s Matthew Mott