PEERS of Red Cliffs cricketer Shannon Bowen have lauded the prolific run-scorer’s talents after he reached 10,000 career runs.
His 10000th run came during a 72 not out first innings knock against Tempy at Quandong Park last Saturday.
The 35-year-old Nursery Ridge Club player’s unbeaten knock took his overall tally to 10,023 runs across 285 matches at a batting average of 49.37 over his 20-plus year career.
Bowen has hit 17 centuries and 49 half centuries during that period and has a top score of 170.
The left-handed batter has spent most of his career in the Red Cliffs Cricket Association (RCCA) where he has scored 8215 runs at an average of 52.66.
He has also had stints in the Sunraysia Cricket Association (SCA), scoring 583 runs at an average of 29.15 over three seasons playing for Merbein South.
Bowen, who preferred not to speak publicly about the milestone, has had a strong 2021/22 RCCA season in A Grade, scoring 444 runs, remaining unbeaten on four occasions. His current 2021/22 batting average is 111.
Nursery Ridge captain Mitchell Shaw said the achievement was a testament to the work Bowen had put in from his early years of playing cricket.
“It’s proven that when you’re a young bloke, that’s when you need to put in the hard yards,” Shaw said. “As a young bloke he worked extremely hard (and) now he’s got to a level where he’s comfortable.”
Although Bowen responded in a modest manner to the achievement, Shaw said the Nursery Ridge side had been “extremely happy” about the opening batsman’s feat.
“Everyone was like, ‘that’s a remarkable achievement’. That does not happen every day.”
RCCA umpire and board member Peter Woodford said Bowen had had “a more than natural” ability to play cricket.
Woodford, who as a banker has in country Victoria has played in at least six country cricket competitions, said he had “not seen a better all-round cricketer” in his 50 years as a player, umpire and administrator.
He said while the RCCA was not considered equal level to the SCA 1st Division, it was not far behind, and the “unique” 10,000-run milestone was a testament to Bowen’s ability to apply himself over a long period of time.
“Irrespective of what level you play, you make one little mistake as a batsman and you’re out,” Woodford said.
Nursery Ridge has had a lot of success in the RCCA. Bowen’s experience playing with his father, Alan Brown, and his experience as a youngster in several grand final winning sides, which had set Bowen up to reach the milestone, Shaw said
Shaw said Bowen’s move to open the batting had instilled a new sense of patience with himself, and had given him a chance to help others develop as batters.
“He does provide confidence to people that never would have opened before. He would say, open with me, I’ll talk to you.
“I know it’s local cricket but there’s people who definitely look up to him,” Shaw said.
