Teenage partnership hits 250
A PAIR of young guns have marked themselves as names to watch after putting together a 250-run partnership for Barwon Rockets.
Tom Neate (112) joined Harry Hauenstein (118 not out) when the Rockets were in jeopardy at 3-21 in the under-16 one-day match against Western Spirit yesterday.
The duo batted all the way until the last ball of the innings, leading their side to a winning total of 4-271 from 50 overs at Geelong Cricket Ground.
Rockets coach Angus Boyd said both players had shown signs of form.
Neate had slowly moved up from an all-rounder to a toporder batter with Leopold in
GCA1 firsts this season and Hauenstein belted a century for South Barwon in the seconds in October.
“Even a partnership of 70 or 80 at that stage would have been crucial, but they just kept going and going,” Boyd said.
“A partnership of 250 is outstanding at any level, but for two 15-year-olds it was exceptional.
“Harry has certainly always been someone anybody involved with the Rockets would say has plenty of talent but probably hasn’t gone on to get those big scores.
“But when he got that 100 in the seconds in the GCA this year, that was when we knew he had turned that corner.
“(Neate has) always shown enough with the bat, but where he’s come from last year to this year with his batting, there is a huge difference.”
Neate (1-19) didn’t have a chance to put his feet up after his innings, when he opened the bowling, while Hauenstein (1-38) also rolled the arm over.
But it was the off spin of skipper Sam Croft (4-37) that did most of the damage as the Spirit were held to 9-239 off their 50 overs.
“(Croft) brought himself back on and picked up the four wickets and really deserved that,” Boyd said. “He came on and really iced the game.”
Meanwhile, in the under-14 game, opening bowler Angus Hastie (3-30) helped hold the Spirit to 8-179.
A well-made 40 from Oliver Peake gave the Rockets a chance but they were bowled out 18 runs short.