HE had the Coomealla Wentworth batsmen in a spin, but Merbein South’s Jarrod Forrester is most happy with breaking the club’s winless drought.
The 36-year-old took his best figures for the Saints of 6/23 from nine overs with four maidens, as the side claimed their first Sunraysia Cricket Association First Division victory since December 7, 2019.
Bowling in tandem with veteran Shane Trinick (4/22), Forrester used the low bouncing and skiddy George Gordon Oval deck to his advantage as Merbein South skittled the Blues for 90 after the batters made 128.
The right-arm off spinner’s performance earned him the Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club Player of the Round.
“It’s been a long haul, almost a season and a half without a win so that really just helps to lift the confidence of the team,” Forrester said.
“After our innings we thought we left a few runs out on the park. We were aiming for about 150 or 160 and we thought we would need every of one of those. It turns out we didn’t but we definitely left a few out there.
“I think last round after the game had already been decided (against Gol Gol), we kept pushing on and playing hard, and I think we took a bit of confidence from that.”
Coming on as the first-change bowler, Forrester bowled Luke Cullinan with his first delivery, the start of what he said was a “good day personally”.
“The wicket played well for my style of bowling, it was staying pretty low and skidding on,” he said.
“I was watching their spinners when we were batting and could see how the pitch was playing so I really tried to make sure most of my deliveries were in a good area, then I’d fire in a faster one and hoped it would skid on.
“Bowling partnerships are really important and when you’ve got an experienced hand in Shane Trinick at the other end, we knew they would try and attack my bowling a bit more which I think worked to my advantage.”
Forrester joined Merbein South in the 2010/11 season and got a taste of top division cricket while the team were red hot, but it wouldn’t be until 2015/16 campaign that Forrester cemented himself as a first-team spinner.
It was just the second time he had taken a five-wicket haul in First Division, although both times he actually took half a dozen scalps. His previous best was 6/56 against Irymple in the ’15/16 campaign.
His recent haul has taken him to 60 wickets in First Division.
Forrester said his side are aiming for a finals berth.
“We have three or four new recruits and a few younger guys who have pushed themselves into the first team. It’s a really different vibe to the last couple of years, there’s a really good feeling around the place, and that win really gives us a boost, especially early on in the season,” he said.
“We’re always aiming for finals, and we want to be in the top four or five teams in the competition come the end of the season.”
As the Player of the Round, Forrester receives a $50 voucher courtesy of the Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club.
