Josh Croom fires in a yorker
There’s no stopping South Wilts teenage left-arm speedster Josh Croom as he continues to grab the headlines for his adopted South Australia club Glenelg in Adelaide.
The previous week’s career-best figures of 7-23 against West End Second Grade opponents Sturt catapulted the 18-year old from Stratford-Sub-Castle into Glenelg’s first team – a most unusual pick for an English cricketer.
But he rose to the occasion perfectly, taking 4-19 off ten tidy overs as Port Adelaide slumped from 90-2 to 149 all out – Croom removing three of the visitors’ top six. Glenelg strengthened their grip on the two-day match by reaching 121-2 by stumps.
The previous week’s career-best figures of 7-23 against West End Second Grade opponents Sturt catapulted the 18-year old from Stratford-Sub-Castle into Glenelg’s first team – a most unusual pick for an English cricketer.
But he rose to the occasion perfectly, taking 4-19 off ten tidy overs as Port Adelaide slumped from 90-2 to 149 all out – Croom removing three of the visitors’ top six. Glenelg strengthened their grip on the two-day match by reaching 121-2 by stumps.
Team-mate Jake Winter, who played for South Wilts in 2016, presents Josh Croom with his Glenelg cap. “We are in a great position and will look for a 100 or so run lead and try and bowl Port Adelaide out again for an outright win,” Croom said.
The teenager’s bowling brought glowing praise from Glenelg coach Grant Foster, who revealed:
“Josh bowled like he has all season. He has had to bide his time in the 2nd Grade and he deserved to be selected in the 1st Grade after some strong performances.
“As a coaching group we have always discussed that he would play 1st Grade at some point throughout the season, and he went up in form so we are not surprised that he did so well.”
Spending the winter at the Adelaide-based Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy, Croom gets to work with both Mark Harrity and Peter Muggleton, both experienced and well-respected coaches, who not only work on the technical aspects of his bowling but also game skills and craft.
Foster continued: “Josh’s economy rate is so good because he keeps a lot of pressure on the batsmen by consistently bowling in the right areas and lengths, asks a lot of questions of them.
“His fitness has also improved allowing him to bowl long spells.
Great attitude
“He is really coachable, takes on board advice and, when you have a conversation with him during a break in play, is he able to articulate how he is going to get the batsmen out or alternatively execute the plans you have come up with.
“We have a fantastic culture within our playing which Josh has brought into.
“He has a great attitude, trains hard every training and is really invested in what we are wanting to achieve as a club. He is well regarded not just by the players and coaches but also the volunteers.”
Foster confirmed that even through Glenelg had three players away in Perth on South Australia duty at the WACA, Croom would have made his First Grade debut.
“Alex Carey, Chadd Sayers and Liam Scott were all playing in the Sheffield Shield, but Josh would have been selected to make his 1st Grade debut even with those players in the side,” he explained.
• Croom has subsequently revealed that he received a congratulatory text message from Australia’s Kane Richardson, who is playing in the short-form series against the Black Caps in New Zealand.
• “Perhaps he’s after a pair of quality Oakley sun glasses,” he chuckled. "I think I know a bloke ..."
The teenager’s bowling brought glowing praise from Glenelg coach Grant Foster, who revealed:
“Josh bowled like he has all season. He has had to bide his time in the 2nd Grade and he deserved to be selected in the 1st Grade after some strong performances.
“As a coaching group we have always discussed that he would play 1st Grade at some point throughout the season, and he went up in form so we are not surprised that he did so well.”
Spending the winter at the Adelaide-based Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy, Croom gets to work with both Mark Harrity and Peter Muggleton, both experienced and well-respected coaches, who not only work on the technical aspects of his bowling but also game skills and craft.
Foster continued: “Josh’s economy rate is so good because he keeps a lot of pressure on the batsmen by consistently bowling in the right areas and lengths, asks a lot of questions of them.
“His fitness has also improved allowing him to bowl long spells.
Great attitude
“He is really coachable, takes on board advice and, when you have a conversation with him during a break in play, is he able to articulate how he is going to get the batsmen out or alternatively execute the plans you have come up with.
“We have a fantastic culture within our playing which Josh has brought into.
“He has a great attitude, trains hard every training and is really invested in what we are wanting to achieve as a club. He is well regarded not just by the players and coaches but also the volunteers.”
Foster confirmed that even through Glenelg had three players away in Perth on South Australia duty at the WACA, Croom would have made his First Grade debut.
“Alex Carey, Chadd Sayers and Liam Scott were all playing in the Sheffield Shield, but Josh would have been selected to make his 1st Grade debut even with those players in the side,” he explained.
• Croom has subsequently revealed that he received a congratulatory text message from Australia’s Kane Richardson, who is playing in the short-form series against the Black Caps in New Zealand.
• “Perhaps he’s after a pair of quality Oakley sun glasses,” he chuckled. "I think I know a bloke ..."
