IRYMPLE’S 300-plus run innings at the weekend will be the blueprint for the Swallows to avoid another semi-final exit as they eye the SCA First Division premiership, according to opening batsman Bryson Lush.
Lush smashed a career-best 162 while facing Merbein South to push the Swallows to a season-best 313 and kept Irymple on top of the First Division ladder with two rounds to go.
But the century didn’t come without a touch of nerves – Lush was dropped while on 95.
The Swallows’ opening batsman has been dismissed twice for 96 in the last two seasons – against Gol Gol in round 8, and versus Nichols Point in round 18 last season.
Lush said he had to calm himself and felt “relief” to hit his first century in two years.
“It’s nice to see the hard work paying off because I like to think that I train pretty hard,” Lush said.
The 162-run performance earned Lush the SCA Coomealla Club Player of the Round nomination.
After 11 seasons of junior and senior cricket at Mildura West, Lush said he felt comfortable moving to Irymple to face the new ball, and play with friend Chase Stone.
In his third season at Irymple, Lush said the club had instilled “confidence and belief” in him and his run-scoring was a consequence of not feeling any pressure to perform.
Lush finished third among all run scorers in 2019-20 and, following a top-ten finish in 2020-21, currently leads all scorers this season.
“I’m happiest at the top trying to set the boys off to a good start – that’s where I perform best.”
But while he aimed to finish the season with a 40-run average, Lush said personal success would come a distant second to helping Irymple rebound from 2021’s disappointing finals exit.
“The only thing I’m focused on this year is trying to get past the semi-final into that premiership, which is what I came here to do a couple of years ago.
“It was pretty disappointing to me to lose like we did to Coomealla in the semis. For us, it’s about trying to be consistent when we’re batting.”
Irymple’s two 200-run innings and 313-run performance have resulted in two wins and one loss, and Lush said in coming weeks the team’s goal was to hit over 200 runs to give their bowlers a chance.
“It was good for us to get 300 on the board because if you do that, not many teams are going to chase that down.
“Hopefully, our batting can get us over the line, because anything over 230 mark our bowlers would be pretty confident in defending.
“We all have the belief in ourselves that we can do it. It’s just a matter of going out there and executing what we need to do.”
As the SCA Player of the Round, Lush receives a $50 voucher from the Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club.
