Comeback scuttled

Charrington’s first grade run is a one-off

BARRON River Cricket Club first grade coach Ryan Charrington will line up in the team’s first eleven today, but don’t call it a comeback.

Charrington insisted that while he was looking forward to having a hit with the boys, he would merely be “filling a void” as the Bulldogs hosts Norths at Crathern Park.

“I played quite seriously two years ago, but had a full knee reconstruction at the start of the year, so I’ve just been having a couple of hits here and there just when the body holds up,” said Charrington.

“There’s a couple of young fellas in second grade that probably deserve a go, but they’re bowlers and they’ll come up (to first grade) and might get one or two overs.

“It’s better for them to stay in second grade where they can bowl their eight overs and get a fair go.

“I will probably bat around seven or eight and probably only bowl if needed to.”

He said Barron will gain an early advantage if they can send Norths in to bat first.

“(Norths) chase really, really well and that’s something we’ve picked up on,” he said.

“If we can get them to bat first and keep them to 150-180, I’m confident we’ll be able to chase that total down with how we’ve been batting over the past couple of weeks, excluding against Mulgrave last week.”

He believed Baron’s bowling attack had the players to restrict Norths’ in-form bats.

“Jordy (Jordan Fulton) is one of the best bowlers in the comp and doing a great job as captain this year,” he said.

“All the young fellas really respect and look up to him.

“Jack Gardner is an absolute superstar in the making and is bowling really quick.”

With just one 40-over win from seven games, Charrington said it was an unfortunate record for a team that had been “doing everything right”.

“They’ve all got the right behaviours – they’re training hard with the team and in their own time – but it’s just the way the swords have fallen, we just haven’t got enough Ws in the column.”