Sporting a blue cast on his left arm, Aaron Hazlewood evoked memories of late West Indian great Malcolm Marshall in the weekend’s Tamworth first grade decider.
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Marshall famously played with plaster on his arm courtesy of a broken thumb in a 1984 Test against England at Headingley.
Hazlewood battled the same injury after sustaining a double fracture at the base of his thumb late in the major semi-final on March 12.
It was a painful end to an otherwise glorious game for the Old Boys all-rounder as he claimed career-best figures.
He was in the thick of the action again on the weekend snagging 5-57 to help Old Boys secure a fourth successive first grade premiership.
Hazlewood is one of six players to feature in all four triumphs and has featured prominently in them all.
Last season he spearheaded an eight-wicket win with 7-20. The year before he claimed 4-44, and in the first of the four, 2-21 in the first innings and 4-24 in the second.
He admitted it was a bit awkward running in with a cast on. It didn’t help that the end he was bowling from was quite boggy.
Not that you would know, as he again tore through the Souths’ top order.
“The wicket wasn’t doing anything stupid but it was definitely harder to bat on than bowl on,” he said.
The plan was the same as the one that had proved so successful in the major semi-final.
“Just bowl our channels and bowl our lines which have been working for us all season,” Hazlewood said.
He was full of praise for his fellow bowlers.
“Jack (Richards) really dried it up yesterday (Saturday). He bowled a really good spell,” he said.
“And Will (Gell) came back on today and bowled well.”
The former NSW Country quick claimed four of the six wickets to fall on the second day as they rolled Souths for 103.
“We knew if we could keep them under 120, we knew we could chase it down,” Hazlewood said.
“But we’ve seen the last few weeks the wickets just fall.”
Souths had only the week before taken 5-10 to pull off a miraculous win.
Hazlewood did admit to sneaking over to Riverside 2, where Old Boys’ seconds were playing Norths, a few times during the run chase.
“I am a nervous watcher,” he said.
“I’ve seen plenty of Old Boys collapses over the years and they have got a good bowling attack.”
He was ready to bat if needed.
“It really depended on the situation. If we needed a couple I might have batted,” he said.
Fortunately Adam Lole and Mitch Swain steered them to victory.
