AFTER combining with the tail to help his side to a match-winning score, Merbein South’s Dillon Furze says his proudest moment was raising his bat to a close friend watching on the sidelines.
Furze scored 77 off 74 deliveries and picked up 2/17 in his under-16 match to earn the nod as the Sunraysia Cricket Association Junior Player of the Round.
Although the middle-order batsman would go on to a 63-run partnership with Jack Robertson to more than double Merbein South’s score, Furze said he felt nervous after finding his side at 9/58 following a collapse.
He said he told Robertson to preserve his wicket and, taking advantage of Coomealla Wentworth’s wide mid-on and mid-off, took it upon himself to “have a swing”, and secured a personal first in the process.
“The highlight was playing an on-drive for four because I’ve never been able to play that shot in my career,” Furze said.
“I just felt really good. I was really proud that all my work had finally come off and it was all starting to work.”
After a few anxious moments where he “fished for a few”, Furze said he was able to keep his composure to bat for 95 minutes, hitting eight fours.
Furze said he could hear yelling from the sidelines to keep his wicket intact as he closed in on 50, and when he reached the mark he said it was a personal highlight to raise his bat to a friend and Merbein South cricketer, Josh Stanley.
“He’s been really supportive lately. We’ve got a real close bond now and so I raised the bat out towards him while he was sitting there cheering.”
While Merbein South finished with 121 off 30.4 overs, their bowlers were able to restrict Coomealla Wentworth’s partnerships, bowling the NSW-based side out for 71.
Given his run-up, Furze said he didn’t feel too comfortable bowling due to the skinnier pitch at Coomealla. But he said he was proud Merbein South were able to come together to save the match.
“(After) a total collapse like that … it was just real nerve-racking. But for us to be able to set a score … and then have everyone bowl really well. When we got that last wicket, it just felt really good that we saved it.”
As the Junior Player of the Round, Furze receives a $50 voucher from Sportzprint.
