Henry Smith underlined his hidden talents when he finished top of the County Division 2 bowling charts – after all, he’d previously hardly had much chance to show what he could do with the ball in a South Wilts 3rd XI well stocked with seam options .. until last season !
Ever since he joined the Bemerton club as a ten-year old, Henry fancied himself as a bowler, but apart from the occasional over or two, he had to be content with his role as a stoic, hard to dislodge opening batsman. But things changed dramatically in 2019 when SW III skipper Jody Everett tossed the Fovant teenager the ball – and he weighed in with a season’s haul of 33 wickets !
“He bowls decent lines and swings it, but surpassed all our expectations with his 33 wickets, a reward for the hard work and effort he put in all summer,” Everett said.
Smith, who spent the 2018/19 winter sheep farming in New South Wales in readiness for his current agriculture and crop science course at Nottingham University, celebrated five separate four-wicket returns against Emsworth, Ferndown Wayfarers, East Woodhay, Fair Oak and Bournemouth, and three-wicket hauls on two other occasions.
Leading wicket takers: Henry Smith (South Wilts) 33, Miles Kingston (Bramshaw) 28, Mike Offord (Emsworth) 27, * Andy Scher (Odiham & Greywell) 27, Ant Norris (Emsworth) 27, Paul Hungerford (Portsmouth) 26, Mark Scorey (Compton & Chandler’s Ford) 26. Best bowling: Matt Mixer (Bournemouth) 8-15 v Rowledge II.
Ever since he joined the Bemerton club as a ten-year old, Henry fancied himself as a bowler, but apart from the occasional over or two, he had to be content with his role as a stoic, hard to dislodge opening batsman. But things changed dramatically in 2019 when SW III skipper Jody Everett tossed the Fovant teenager the ball – and he weighed in with a season’s haul of 33 wickets !
“He bowls decent lines and swings it, but surpassed all our expectations with his 33 wickets, a reward for the hard work and effort he put in all summer,” Everett said.
Smith, who spent the 2018/19 winter sheep farming in New South Wales in readiness for his current agriculture and crop science course at Nottingham University, celebrated five separate four-wicket returns against Emsworth, Ferndown Wayfarers, East Woodhay, Fair Oak and Bournemouth, and three-wicket hauls on two other occasions.
Leading wicket takers: Henry Smith (South Wilts) 33, Miles Kingston (Bramshaw) 28, Mike Offord (Emsworth) 27, * Andy Scher (Odiham & Greywell) 27, Ant Norris (Emsworth) 27, Paul Hungerford (Portsmouth) 26, Mark Scorey (Compton & Chandler’s Ford) 26. Best bowling: Matt Mixer (Bournemouth) 8-15 v Rowledge II.
