Nightingale stars in Wangaratta & District title triumph
TOM NIGHTINGALE has been making the headlines down under.
The Guernsey cricketer played a starring role for the Wangaratta & District Cricket Association as they won the Melbourne Country Week division three title to earn promotion.
Nightingale made 203 runs at an average of 101.5 while also claiming eight wickets with his off-spin and he was 53 not out to guide Wangaratta to a five-wicket win over Centrals Gippsland in the grand final, securing his side their second representative title of the season.
Although his club form for Greta has not hit quite the same heights, he also had an impressive campaign at Bendigo Country Week in January – his combined efforts resulting in an average of 67.66 for WDCA with four half-centuries – and WDCA captain Kent Braden reserved special praise for the Sarnian all-rounder when talking to the Wangaratta Chronicle.
‘He is a ripping kid and a gun cricketer,’ Braden said.
‘We were talking about it through the week that he was sort of just finding ways to get out in club cricket, but his rep form has been fantastic.
‘He hits the ball clean, runs between the wickets well, bowls well and is one of the best fielders I’ve ever seen.
‘So while he hasn’t been able to do as much as he’d like in club cricket, at least he can go home at the end of the year and know he’s contributed at rep level.’
