The Coming of Age

While the weekend saw a lot of good news for the Kiama Cricket Club, it did contain perhaps two of the best stories in individual performances, both of which have probably been coming for some time, and both of which were from opening batsmen.

Dale Scifleet has threatened for the past couple of years to break through and translate his obvious talent into runs and wickets. At a time when Kiama Cricket needs him to do it the most, it looks as though he may finally have taken that step.
Kiama 1sts were jumping on Saturday, having finally broken a 15 year hoodoo, and taken 1st innings points in their clash with Warilla. In the midst of this achievement stood the growing colossus of Dale Scifleet.
Coming on as first change as 1sts attempted to dismiss the Kookaburras, Dale snared 3/23 with his increasingly improving bowling. Dale has always shown himself to be a bowler with an ability to bowl quick, though unfortunately his frame has sometimes been unable to cope with that strain. For the first time since he was 16, he now appears fit and strong enough to cope with the demands he places on himself in delivery.
With no rest for the wicked, Dale, having helped decimate Warilla for just 98, immediately straps on his pads, and walks out to open the innings for Kiama's reply. He is in form, having scored 65 not out in the first match. Now, however, he must do it against one the competition's historically striongest teams.
Though two early wickets fell, Dale is resolute, and with his skipper, they steer Kiama past the mental barrier imposed for so long. From here, the job is not finished, Dale bats on, dominating the attack, until, like Kiama batsmen in the nineties before him, he cuts a ball on to his stumps, prematurely ending his innings on 94, when a maiden 1st Grade century beckoned.
What does it all mean. From the sidelines, what it means is that Dale has finally found himself as a cricketer, managing to meld the talent with the work ethic on and off the field that is required to succeed. His selection for South Coast is testimony to that, and the possibility of reaching Southern Zone and, maybe, Country, would be an extension of that.
More than anything else, Kiama's great hope for the past six years finally appears to have materialised, and with it, 1st Grade's best chance for success in many years.

A few kilometres away, at Bonaira Street, another prodigal was making a mark of his own. Simon Pearson seems to have spent the last few seasons in the shadows, appearing briefly in the higher grades, but generally forced to work his trade in 3rd Grade, where he was playing on the weekend.
After his skipper had won the toss and decided to bat against The Rail Red, Simon strapped on his pads and walked out to face the music.
The side was loaded with faces that, in talk at the Grand, were expected to do the real damage. But while Savage, Wills, Gunning, Bombaci, Park and Lawler made their contributions, Simon played as he always does, accumulating his runs without anyone realising how well he is going.
Playing at Oakleigh Park, I had an indication that he was doing well by the frequency of the phone calls from his father, Ian. The final one came at around 4.30pm, when Ian could barely contain his glee by announcing, “Simon made his hundred, and I was there to see it!”.
Simon has been unfortunate that his chances in the higher grades have often been one-off cameo's, when others have been unavailable for a weekend. On his 1st Grade debut, he put his hand up for the Number 3 position against the toughest assignment in South Coast cricket...(and promptly shouldered arms to an inswinging rocket and lost his off stump). He has the ability to make a solid 1st Grade batsman, given the opportunity to stake a claim, and the desire to make it happen.

These are just two of the stars from last weekend. The Warilla victory in 1st Grade may have drawn the headlines, but these two players have every right to feel very pleased with their start to the season.