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HE has taken apart the bowling of international representatives in the past, but on Friday Bathurst talent Jono Dean was unable to guide his ACT Comets to a win over Afghanistan at Manuka Oval.
In the end they lost by three wickets in a final-over thriller.
Dean was selected as skipper of the ACT representative side for the game, the squad also including his brother Blake, and the captain was keen to test himself against a group of players who will represent Afghanistan in the World Cup.
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bowl, which meant Dean was in the thick of the action straight away as the Comets’ opener for the 50 overs per side match.
Two seasons ago Dean made a name for himself when belting the West Indies attack in a Prime Minister’s XI match, while he also put on some exhibitions of big hitting against talented bowlers in last season’s Big Bash League.
However, on Friday Dean lasted just nine deliveries. The Comets’ skipper was bowled by Aftab Alam for just two runs.
Blake Dean, coming in at number seven, did not fare any better as the same bowler rattled his stumps after he had added only one run to the Comets’ total.
Tamworth batsman Andrew Harriott (66 runs) was the backbone of the Comets’ innings, but they continued to lose wickets throughout.
If it wasn’t for some lusty hitting by Daniel Magin (32 not out), they wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near the 266-run total they notched up.
“I was in England and Higgsy [Comets coach Mark Higgs] gave me a call to see if I was interested and I thought it was a good opportunity,” Magin said.
“I’ve been bashing away in Sydney for a couple of years. [This was] a good opportunity to play higher cricket, and obviously play against international teams.”
The visitors got their chase off to a good start and put on 41 before the first wicket fell, but Jono Dean rallied his troops.
Dean caught out danger man Nawroz Mangal for 85 in the 38th over and shortly after Blake Dean claimed the scalp of Mohammed Nabil for six.
The younger of the Bathurst siblings finished with 1-38 off seven overs, the wicket he claimed making it 5-194 with seven overs remaining.
The Comets appeared to have Afghanistan in trouble, needing more than 10 runs an over for the final seven overs, but with five wickets in hand, Afghanistan was able to get the runs.
Thanks to some clever hitting by Shafiqullah Shafiq (22 off 12 balls) and Gulbadin Naib (22 off 10), they got home with four balls to spare.
The Dean brothers had another chance to impress on Sunday when the Comets played a second match against Afghanistan.