Milestone almost unnoticed
WHEN Portarlington allrounder Paul McGrath rearranged Queenscliff tailender Tony Hanafin’s stumps last Saturday, he didn’t realise he had just taken his 500th Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association wicket.
Informed of his milestone during the week, McGrath was typically nonplussed.
‘‘There was a bit of talk a couple of years ago that I was getting close, but I didn’t actually realise it at the time,’’ McGrath said.
‘‘Seriously, it’s not that big a deal. You don’t play for those things, you play to win premierships and that’s what really matters.’’
McGrath is also rapidly closing in on 6000 runs and his mantle as one of the BPCA’s best ever allrounders is without question. But he admitted that his bowling days were numbered due to a back problem.
‘‘The back’s been playing up a lot and we’ve got three or four really good young kids coming through,’’ he said. ‘‘Plus you don’t want to be bowling all the time anyway, it’s not a good look when you’re captain.’’
McGrath’s best figures of 9-19 from 21.3 overs came against Jan Juc in 2008-09.
Tomorrow his side will attempt to chase Queenscliff’s imposing total of 244.
‘ ‘ We’re coming off a pretty good chase in the first game when we chased 150 against Collendina and got them in 35 overs,’’ he said.
‘‘ If we bat well again, we’re every chance, especially with 75 overs.’’
When asked who he was looking at to score the bulk of the runs, McGrath was certain in his response: ‘‘All of us.
‘‘Chasing 240, you can’t rely on one or two blokes. It has to come from everyone.’’