WHEN you look across both the Bathurst and Dubbo teams for Sunday’s Western Zone Premier League grand final at the Sportsground, you can throw a dart at the scorecard and expect to land it on the name of a match-winner.
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Even without a quartet of stars in Jordan Moran, Mitch Bower, Ryan Medley and Greg Buckley, Dubbo still have a powerhouse XI.
One player who perhaps sneaks under the radar in such illustrious company but could play a huge role for the home side come game time on Sunday is St Pat’s Old Boys blaster Derryn Clayton.
For someone who is regarded as a master of the big hit, Clayton has proven remarkably consistent over the past three seasons since establishing himself in first grade.
In that time he has slammed 900 runs at an average of 33.3, and given that his strike rate would almost certainly be better than a run a ball in that period, his figures deserve even more credit.
That run-scoring ability has made him a fixture on the periphery of the district team, having first been named a couple of summers ago.
This season his opportunities have been limited and he was not required to bat during big wins against Orange and Mudgee.
But come Sunday, he’ll be raring to go if he gets the chance to swing the timber.
“I’ve not played against Dubbo before. I missed the match where they came here earlier in the season and haven’t been on the trips over there, so it will be a new experience,” he said.
“I’m very pleased, very happy to get named. It is a strong side and I’m over the moon to be a part of such a big game against a team that has been the best for a long time.
“I feel like I’ve had a pretty decent season. It was a slow start, but I began to find some form around Christmas or just before it and I’ve been reasonably consistent since then.
“Now all I can do is just get out there on Sunday and do my best.”
Clayton’s role doesn’t seem specific given that he won’t bowl and is likely to bat as low as number eight.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Such is his destructive power, coming in at that stage gives him a greater responsibility than it seems.
Though Josh Toole and Sam Macpherson are renowned as being high-impact players who get the scoreboard ticking, they are countered by the more methodical types like Jameel Qureshi, Callum Hotham and Ryan Peacock.
If the right platform is laid, Clayton is the perfect man to take full advantage and turn a good total into a massive one.
“For me this is a huge game. It is a big step in my cricket, especially given who we’re facing. Dubbo have been the pinnacle of Western Zone cricket for as long as anyone can remember,” he said.
“We are getting stronger, though, and Sunday is our chance to show it.
“I will try to bat exactly the same way I would in club cricket and keep that aggressive approach – that’s when I play my best. It doesn’t mean I don’t respect the bowlers. They are good players, so I need to think about what I’m doing.
“I’d guess that I’ll be batting at eight, but that isn’t a disappointment or anything. We’ve got Matt Stephen and Aaron Seymour at 11 and 10, they are both outstanding batsmen in their own right, so it says a lot about our depth.”
