HE'S already proven himself to be a champion cyclist, now Brad Rayner is demonstrating his sporting talent extends to cricket as evidenced by his remarkable figures of 6-10 last Saturday.
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Rayner made his return to cricket last summer, the move coming four months after he became just the third person in the last 20 years to claim back-to-back Bathurst Cycling Club A grade road cycling championships.
He played third grade for Rugby Union Cricket Club and managed to take 16 wickets at an average of 12.
"I played as a kid like most people but I stopped and didn't go on to senior cricket, I focussed on other things like I started doing cycling pretty seriously the last couple of years," he said.
"I'm still cycling, but now it's also that I want to play other sports that I enjoyed as a kid."
This season Rayner wanted to take his cricket a bit more seriously so stepped up to second grade.
But with his determination to improve also came some uncertainty given he had had surgery less than a month before the start of the Bathurst District Cricket Association season.
"I broke my wrist November last year cycling and mid-September [this year] I had to have surgery number three on it," he said.
"I'm right handed so it's been really hard, I hadn't been able to ride until the last couple of months and when I found out I needed surgery number three, I though I wouldn't be playing cricket this year.
"But I was really lucky, I got a surgeon who did an unreal job and almost straight away I was 'Wow, my wrist feels so much better'. Before the surgery there wasn't a lot I could do that didn't hurt."
Rayner took 2-26 against ORC in Rugby's season opener and 1-39 in their next game against St Pat's Old Boys Blue.
But it was last Saturday's display of swing bowling against Bathurst City at Brooke Moore Oval that really highlighted Rayner's skill with the ball.
I was just really focussing on hitting that top of off and making them play with the ball moving.
- Brad Rayner
After Rugby had set Redbacks 222 for victory in the match, Rayner took the new ball.
He bowled 7.2 overs in succession and helped his side to a commanding win as Redbacks were all out for 33.
Of Rayner's six victims three were bowled, one was trapped leg before wicket and two were caught out as he produced the best spell seen in second grade so far this season.
"Conditions worked out perfect for us as we were lucky enough to bat first when it was really hot and as soon as it was our turn to bowl, that was when it came over a bit overcast," he said.
"That took the bite out of the sun, made it a bit cooler and overcast conditions can do wonders for you moving the ball around in the air.
"It was probably the best I've bowled, so I was obviously really happy with that. I was just really focussing on hitting that top of off and making them play with the ball moving, trying to find that line where they didn't really want to play but were in two minds if they had to or not with the ball moving as much as it was.
"It's been a good start so far, it would have been nice to play a bit more - a few weekends were washed-out - but some cricket is better than none, especially because I wasn't even sure if I was going to be playing."
