LARA’S DOUBLE TON HERO
Lara star hits fourth-best score in GCA history
BRILLIANT Lara batsman Andy Hughes has joined elite local cricket company after smashing a double century for Lara on Saturday.
Hughes’s swashbuckling 221 against Bell Post Hill is the fourth highest individual score in history across more than a century of GCA1 first XI action.
The gifted right-hander fell nine runs short of equalling joint secondplaced holders Glen Talarico (230* for Geelong West in 2008-09) and Geelong Footballers’ Len Metherell (230* in 1939-40). Stephen Wells holds the record, belting 237 in 1986-87.
ANDY Hughes has etched his name in the local cricket history books after smashing a double century for Lara.
Hughes batted his way into elite company, climbing to fourth on the GCA1’s all-time highest first XI scores list with a swashbuckling 221 against Bell Post Hill.
The gifted right-hander surpassed East Belmont’s Michael Dunn (220* v South Barwon in 1985-86) and Torquay Englishman Andrew Bourke (220 v Thomson in 2006-07), and fell just nine runs short of equalling joint second-placed holders Glen Talarico (230* for Geelong West v Leopold in 2008-09) and Geelong Footballers’ Len Metherell (230* v Federal Mills in the 1939-40 grand final).
Former Newtown & Chilwell top order star Stephen Wells holds the record for the highest ever score, belting 237 against East Belmont in 1986-87.
Hughes combined with Brad McMaster (121 from 220) for a 334-run opening stand as the Cats piled the pain on the Panthers with an imposing 2-365.
Only East Belmont combo Sean O’Neill and Andrew Baars (390 runs in 2016-17) have scored a bigger first-innings partnership.
Hughes was out in the 85th over, but had no idea of the significance of his knock at Lara Recreation Reserve.
“I didn’t know that,” Hughes said of the fourth-high- est knock in GCA1 first XI history. “But that’s nice to achieve something like that along the way.”
Hughes, who topped the GCA first XI runscorers list and secured the Jack Sing Medal with 779 runs at 77.90 last season, said he was thrilled to make such a valuable contribution.
“I’m walking on cloud nine but with heavy legs,” Hughes joked yesterday.
“It was a good day. It was great to bat with Brad for that long. He batted really well, especially early on. It was a great knock.
“He has great composure as a 20-year-old, he doesn’t get flustered in any situation, he sticks to what he knows and he doesn’t over complicate it.”
McMaster was the first to reach his half-century, but Hughes picked up the rate soon after his own half-ton.
“He easily got to his 50 before I did, but I probably faced a few more balls after that,” Hughes said.
“I got from 50 to 150 as he went from 50 to 100, so that’s when I accelerated a little bit but I had a lot more of the strike.”
Hughes now has eight tons in his career — 221, 162, 125, 107, 133, 102, 112 and 117 — but he was not prepared to rank his 277-ball masterpiece at the top of the list.
“To be honest, they’re all good,” Hughes said.
“I’m not one to rank them because anytime you get runs it’s a good feeling. To get that amount is great.
“Last year against South I got 160 and there was still quite a few overs to go, so I was a little bit dirty that I didn’t go on with it.
“So I had a mindset to keep going, even though I was knackered. Even last week we made 270 as a club and it wasn’t enough. So it was all about batting 85 overs, and being at Lara, the runs came fairly freely after the break.
“We knew that and we just wanted to kick on and post a big score.”