The magnitude 3.8 earthquake which shook the outskirts of Adelaide on Sunday clearly impacted on South Wilts’ teenager Josh Croom, who produced his best performance of the Australian winter season to bowl Glenelg, his adopted Adelaide club, to victory over South Australia CA West End Premiership leaders Sturt.
The 19-year old from Stratford-under-Castle awoke before dawn as a tremor shook buildings around the city - but the unexpected shortage of sleep had no ill-effects on Croom, who took a season’s best 5-66 as Glenelg celebrated a handsome 102-run win over the leaders.
Four of Croom’s victims were top six Sturt batsmen, including centurion Tom Kelly, who made 130 of his side’s 257 all out. Glenelg earlier made 359-6, with South Wilts’ 2016 Aussie recruit Jake Winter hitting 67.
“It was an eerie experience with buildings shaking for ten seconds or so, but fortunately no one was injured and all the cricket went ahead as planned,” Croom explained.
“It was my final match – sadly, we haven’t made the elimination matches for the grand finals – with the five-for taking my overall wicket count to 34, 23 of them in the first grade, which is very pleasing.
“Sturt are certainly my favourite opponents. I took a career-best 7-23 against them last winter and finished with two-innings match figures of ten for 52.”
Croom flies back to his Salisbury home this week and will soon join in South Wilts’ Sunday afternoon training sessions at Bishop Wordsworth School.
The 19-year old playing In South Wilts’ colours this summer will be an unfamiliar sight, with his 2020 summer being disrupted by covid and then Croom suffering a broken foot at the start of 2021.
Croom’s Australian adventures haven’t finished yet.
He added: “I plan to fly back to Adelaide again in late September for a third winter season with Glenelg, who have helped me develop as a person, on top of my cricket, so I’m eternally grateful for everything they have done for me.”
The 19-year old from Stratford-under-Castle awoke before dawn as a tremor shook buildings around the city - but the unexpected shortage of sleep had no ill-effects on Croom, who took a season’s best 5-66 as Glenelg celebrated a handsome 102-run win over the leaders.
Four of Croom’s victims were top six Sturt batsmen, including centurion Tom Kelly, who made 130 of his side’s 257 all out. Glenelg earlier made 359-6, with South Wilts’ 2016 Aussie recruit Jake Winter hitting 67.
“It was an eerie experience with buildings shaking for ten seconds or so, but fortunately no one was injured and all the cricket went ahead as planned,” Croom explained.
“It was my final match – sadly, we haven’t made the elimination matches for the grand finals – with the five-for taking my overall wicket count to 34, 23 of them in the first grade, which is very pleasing.
“Sturt are certainly my favourite opponents. I took a career-best 7-23 against them last winter and finished with two-innings match figures of ten for 52.”
Croom flies back to his Salisbury home this week and will soon join in South Wilts’ Sunday afternoon training sessions at Bishop Wordsworth School.
The 19-year old playing In South Wilts’ colours this summer will be an unfamiliar sight, with his 2020 summer being disrupted by covid and then Croom suffering a broken foot at the start of 2021.
Croom’s Australian adventures haven’t finished yet.
He added: “I plan to fly back to Adelaide again in late September for a third winter season with Glenelg, who have helped me develop as a person, on top of my cricket, so I’m eternally grateful for everything they have done for me.”
