PETE’S TWO SPORT FEAT
NO skipper in Cairns has lifted more trophies in the past seven months than Peter Sceresini.
But the Atherton captain has to shake a horror run in Cricket Far North two-day finals if he’s to leave town happy following the decider, to be played over four days from Saturday.
Despite his self-confessed worst season with the bat, “Sneaky” has been instrumental in guiding his troops to T20 and one-day titles, adding to the droughtbreaking success he had in charge of the A-grade men at Brothers Hockey Club in 2017.
Such is his dedication to the cause for Atherton, even moving to the Darling Downs in southern Queensland in recent months won’t stop him being part of the battle for the triple crown in the club’s 30th anniversary season.
Sceresini said he hoped the luck would continue in a bid to erase a forgettable history.
“We won one in 2008-09 and I think we’ve been in three since then and we’ve lost them all and I’ve been in all three,” he said. “Two of them were against Mulgrave too.”
“Coming into to the big game they’re going to be hard to beat because they’ve been there and know what to do.”
Sceresini will arrive tomorrow for a training run, hoping the weeks without the willow might turn around his fortunes.
But Atherton paceman Guisseppe Barletta said the skipper did plenty to make things easier for his players.
“He’s a great leader, very switched-on and he’s always ahead of the game,” he said.
“The way he runs the show is very professional and everyone listens to and respects him, so that’s a big part of it.
“He makes your job easier and helps us bond as a team.”
Sceresini said he didn’t feel he did all that much, although picking the squad had given him a headache.
“I’m a pretty relaxed sort of bloke and don’t go too hard on the boys and consider everyone good mates,” he said.
“It has been hard this year because we’ve struggled for players a few times but towards the end of the season everyone has been back.
“It’s a good change to have a bit of depth. We’ve probably got a solid 13 or 14 that have been consistent throughout the year.