With Gunnedah cricket in recess for Christmas and Court House and Albion atop the table as expected, veteran Kookaburras batsman Cameron Milne has given his thoughts on the opening to the season and how he believes the competition will unfold from here.
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It’s too close to call. That’s how Cameron Milne views to premiership race between the competition’s two standout sides, Court House and Albion. Even when pushed, Milne refused to predict a winner.
“Anyone of those teams wins on any given day,” he said, adding that the same would apply to Kookaburras, with only one win this season, if they caused an upset and made the final.
While Milne believes that reigning premiers Court House have a more balanced side than Albion, he says the latter boasted clearly the best batsman and best bowler in the competition in Andy Mack and Brad Jenkinson.
“Albion are a bit reliant on one person batting and one person bowling, really, when you have a look at it,” he said. “When you look at the figures, Jenko is in front bowling and Andy Mack would be a long way in front batting. No one is even close to Andy run wise.”
In six innings this season, Mack has scored 271 runs at an average of 54.2 and with a highest score of 89. His career average is 31.48.
Jenkinson, who joined Albion from Kookaburras this season after the former’s bid for a premiership hat-trick was ended by Court House, has taken 17 wickets this season at an average of 6.3 and a strike rate of 23.6. His best figures at 7-20.
But before claiming 6-16 to bowl Gunnedah to a rare War Veterans Cup win over Tamworth at Wolseley Park on Sunday, Jenkinson had gone 41 overs without a wicket in club cricket.
In the one-day competition, Court House leads Albion with four wins to three, while in the two-day action Albion has an outright win and Court House has a first-innings win. Overall, Albion leads Court House 80.45 points to 71.29.
Milne said that while Court House were the more well-rounded side, the loss this season of their allrounder captain Matt Brady for personal reasons and the potential season-ending injury loss of talented young batsman Alex Beasley were a blow to their title aspirations.
However, he said Court House had benefited from the return from injury of Kaleb McIIveen, while they also got good value out of allrounder Isaac Harris.
“Caleb is a batsman who bowls leggies,” Milne said. “He’s very vocal in the field when he’s bowling. He likes to encourage his teammates, which is good, and he is very serious when he bats.
“Young Harris is a hard-hitting batsman and medium-pacer. He hits the bat harder than what you think he would looking at him side on.”
Harris posted his highest score in Court House’s crushing defeat of Mornington last round. The 82 took his season run aggregate to 114 in six innings at an average of 22.81, his best yet.
Mornington's travails have been well-documented. Milne believes that if they can get through this difficult period they have juniors coming through who could bolster the side.
He singled out Mornington’s promising teenage opener Nick Willoughby as a bright spot on and a largely bleak landscape.
As for Kookaburras, Milne said the side’s improvement since the season commenced had been heartening and was the reason he had not retired.
He described the confidence lift among the younger players as “exponential” and he is confident a win over Albion or Court House will occur this season.
“Our side is improving out of sight … No one gave us a hope at the start of the year. The kids want to play cricket and want to learn and they’re doing that,” he said.
