BY any measure, Wade Hancock is having a breakout season with the bat in the Sunraysia Cricket Association First Division competition.
But what’s made it even more remarkable is that the Gol Gol No.3 batsman has hardly been to training over the summer.
It’s not that Hancock can’t be bothered rocking up. Rather, Wade’s world is seriously full-on as he juggles a hectic work schedule on his property with a young family, as well as the top-grade player/coach role at SFNL club Wentworth footy club.
Hancock’s golden summer with unbeaten ladder leaders Gol Gol took off in late November when he notched his first half-century of the season in a T20 game.
In all forms of the game since then, he has notched scores of 154 not out, 84no, 54no, 58, 77no and then 165no from 251 balls against third-placed Nichols Point at Alcheringa Oval on Saturday.
He has now amassed 732 runs this season at an overall average of 146.4.
“It’s been one of those patches where you keep making good runs,” Hancock said. “It doesn’t come around too often.
“I’m feeling really good out in the middle and we have a great team, which makes my job easier.
“There’s no great pressure on me to make runs because we bat so deep, so I’m playing more freely than I have in the past.
“It’s good to be making runs now, but the most important thing is that we’re doing it the last day of the season.”
Hancock came to the crease early on Saturday, when opener Aidan Calarco fell for a duck on the first of a two-day clash in round 12.
He then proceeded to put on a 124-run partnership with Shac Thomas before the team finished their 80 overs on 8/282.
“I got off to a quick start and that took away the early nerves,” Hancock said.
“I think I made my 50 when the team score was 65, so I was able to get going early.
“Hopefully our team score will be enough because they have an elite batting line-up.”
Elsewhere, Merbein captain Mark East also hit a big hundred to lead his team to 5/237(dec) before they had Mildura Settlers reeling at 2/17 by stumps.
Now aged 44, East turned back the clock as he hit 149 not out from 182 balls in bringing his team back from the brink at Mildura Senior College.
The veteran strode to the crease with his team in early trouble at 2/1 before he combined with Tony Trinick (36) for a 140-run third-wicket stand.
It’s East’s second year with Merbein after playing most of his career with the Fire Brigade in the Red Cliffs competition, where he was a flag-winning captain-coach.
Asked how he pulled up from his big innings on Sunday, East said: “Don’t worry mate, I’m feeling every bit of my age today”.
Reflecting on his ton of fun, he added: “The ball was doing a bit early and we just had to get through that tough spell and consolidate.
“I was seeing them pretty well early on and I was able to take advantage of the loose balls.”
Even though it was his first score above 33 this season, he said he had been timing the ball well.
“I’ve been making starts, getting into the 20s and 30s, but getting myself out to stupid shots,” East said.
“(On Saturday) I put myself up the order a bit, put my head down and it paid off.”
He said that seventh-placed Merbein were still eyeing a finals spot.
“Obviously we need to pick up as many points as we can over the final few rounds, and we scrambled late in our innings (on Saturday) to post that 230 total,” East said.
“We had 10 overs at them and managed to get a couple of poles (wickets), so it was a good day for us.”
In other games on Saturday, Josh Bowyer cracked 103 in Mildura East’s total of 9/193 off their 80 overs against Mildura West at John Hall Oval.
At Henshilwood Oval, returning AFL player Jarrod Brander donned the whites again for Coomealla Wentworth as he captured 4/37 to help dismiss Irymple for 158.
In reply, Coomealla Wentworth were 2/44 at stumps.
