ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Similar to a golfer channeling Happy Gilmour, a popular local park cricketer has dug deep this afternoon in a training game against a higher grade.
Max Dengue was nearing the end of his spell against the North Betoota second-grade team this afternoon when he found himself feeling flat.
Watching another ball on a good length get pushed back past him to the boundary, the 27-year-old was angry.
So he trudged back to his mark and let out a long breath.
He was going to beat the batsman with raw, unabridged pace.
Throwing technique and a Michael Holding-type liquidity of motion out the window, Max was going for the sling – the very action that made Jeff Thompson the most feared bowler of the 1970s.
Max started his run-in and felt himself run faster and faster toward the crease.
In a flash, he was there.
Down stamped his front foot and out sprang his front one.
With a strong flick, his right-arm tucked back behind his body and his left reached for the sky.
Then he slung like nobody had slung since 1975.
All the power, speed and effort Max could garner was focused into the ball.
An entire field of fielders, two confused umpires and a couple of surprised bastmen watched the ball fly from Max’s hand, over third slip and trickle briskly to the boundary rope.
“Byes,” said the umpire.
More to come.
