AN awe-inspiring display of power, resulting in 228 not out for Mildura Settlers’ master blaster Jason Morrison, has sent records tumbling despite his side’s loss to Merbein.
The 2018-19 Innes Medal winner went off against the Magpies at Mildura Senior College, his double century coming from 175 deliveries including 19 fours and 12 sixes.
Morrison’s knock beat his previous best of 223, which also came against Merbein in 2017, to re-record the highest first-division score in Settlers’ history, one of the highest individual first-division scores in living memory.
However, Morrison’s magnificent innings and Setts’ 6/336 wasn’t enough to reverse last week’s result, with their paltry 29 and Merbein’s innings of 8/215 meaning the Magpies still secured the win on the first innings.
The man himself, however, said the team innings can serve as a morale booster for a Setts side on the bottom of the ladder.
“It’s disappointing we didn’t bat like that in the first innings, but it was good for the club that we could bat for the majority of the day, a number of young guys got some time in the middle and a few other guys who hadn’t been in there as long got some time too,” he said.
“It’s actually a bit of a morale booster for us. I know we’re on the bottom of the table but in a couple of games we haven’t been far off, and a day like this shows a lot of the young guys in the side that we can get these positive results.
“I got a bit lucky, managed to hit a few of them out of the middle which was nice.
“The way I’d been batting lately making off the mark was going to be a pretty good result.”
After Merbein declared their innings before play, Settlers needed at least 187 runs to make the Magpies bat again and avoid the outright loss.
Morrison believed avoiding extra overs in the field helped his side with the bat.
“I think the first thought was to avoid the outright, which quite a few people thought might have been on the cards,” he said.
“I think it gave us an advantage that they chose to declare overnight so we didn’t have to worry about bowling and fielding first before we went in to bat.
“The pitch had a bit in it early but once we were able to see that off it was a pretty good track to be batting on.
“The new ball got to rise a bit, and there were a few going in and a few going away so it was tough early but once you could get settled into a rhythm which was great.”
Batting at number six, Vick Singh also scored 51 from 59, while veteran seamer Shane Trinick took another three wickets after his four from last week.
Merbein batted for another 18 overs and made 1/47.
