MORE CRICKET – BDCA big-bashers: the top six-hitters of past five seasons
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
WHEN it comes to drying up opposition scoring in the BDCA this season, none have done it better than Huntly-North Epsom’s Brett Elvey.
Just ask the Strathdale-Maristians’ batsmen who struggled to rotate the strike against Elvey’s nagging medium-pacers last Saturday.
Against one of the BDCA’s best batting line-ups on the small confines of Strathdale’s Bell Oval, Elvey sent down 20 overs for figures of 3-23, including 13 maidens.
At one stage of his spell Elvey bowled eight consecutive maidens, with his performance last Saturday continuing an impressive patch of form from the Power veteran, who in his past four games has taken 12-73 off 49 overs.
Across the season as a whole, Elvey is the only player in the BDCA who has bowled at least 40 overs to have an economy rate of less than 2.00 – his being a miserly 1.83 – having conceded just 236 runs from 129 overs, which includes 58 maidens.
“It’s a bit of a luxury when you have a bowler you can throw the ball to and know that nine times out of 10 you’re going to get eight to 12 really tidy overs, regardless of whether he’s taking a wicket or not,” Power skipper Elliott Massina said.
“I’ve said for a long time he’s one of the most under-rated bowlers in the competition.
“He has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and is just really smart in the way he goes about his bowling. He uses the crease really well and has those subtle variations that make him really hard to get away a lot of the time.
“He has really hit his straps for us over the past few games and has been able to settle in well with our opening bowlers having taken some early wickets.”
As well as Elvey, the Power – the competition’s No.1 ranked bowling line-up – also have Adam Ward (2.24) and spinner Sandun Ranathunga (2.39) – among the BDCA’s top six economy rates this season.
Meanwhile, left-arm Sandhurst spinner Sam Sperling – currently sidelined with a foot injury – boasts the BDCA’s best economy rate from 2000-2018 for players to have bowled more than 300 overs.
Sperling’s economy rate in his first two years with the Dragons before his third this season was 2.18 from 320 overs, narrowly edging out Robbie Herbert’s 2.20 for Strathfieldsaye and Eaglehawk, followed by Bendigo United’s Daniel Schmidt (2.26) and Kangaroo Flat stalwart Adam Burns’ 2.28 from 3114 overs during the timeframe.
BDCA’S best economy rates this season:
(minimum 40 overs)
1 – BRETT ELVEY
(Huntly-North Epsom)
Econ rate: 1.83
Overs: 129 Runs: 236
Maiden %: 45.0%
…………………………………
2 – CRAIG HOWARD
(Sandhurst)
Econ rate: 2.17
Overs: 83 Runs: 180
Maiden %: 33.7%
…………………………………
3 – ADAM WARD
(Huntly-North Epsom)
Econ rate: 2.24
Overs: 173 Runs: 388
Maiden %: 35.3%
…………………………………
4 – CAM McGLASHAN
(Eaglehawk)
Econ rate: 2.30
Overs: 46 Runs: 106
Maiden %: 32.6%
………………………………...
5 – SHAUN KNOTT
(Eaglehawk)
Econ rate: 2.38
Overs: 48 Runs: 114
Maiden %: 27.1%
………………………………...
6 – SANDUN
RANATHUNGA
(Huntly-North Epsom)
Econ rate: 2.39
Overs: 79 Runs: 189
Maiden %: 35.4%
………………………………...
7 – SAM SPERLING
(Sandhurst)
Econ rate: 2.41
Overs: 126 Runs: 328
Maiden %: 19.9%
…………………………………
8 – LEIGH McDERMOTT
(Bendigo United)
Econ rate: 2.42
Overs: 62 Runs: 150
Maiden %: 37.1%
………………………………...
9 – RUSSELL
STOCKDALE
(Eaglehawk)
Econ rate: 2.44
Overs: 147 Runs: 358
Maiden %: 32.0%
………………………………...
10 – NICK GLADMAN
(Sandhurst)
Econ rate: 2.44
Overs: 93 Runs: 227
Maiden %: 23.7%
…………………………………
11 – LIAM EVANS
(Bendigo)
Econ rate: 2.44
Overs: 124 Runs: 303
Maiden %: 24.2%
………………………………...
12 – AARON MONRO
(Eaglehawk)
Econ rate: 2.46
Overs: 57 Runs: 140
Maiden %: 31.6%
………………………………...
BDCA TOP 20 ECONOMY RATES 2000-2018
(minimum 300 overs)
1 – SAM SPERLING
Econ rate: 2.18 (320 overs)
Maiden %: 27.5%
…………………………………
2 – ROBBIE HERBERT
Econ rate: 2.20 (668)
Maiden %: 32.0%
…………………………………
3 – DANIEL SCHMIDT
Econ rate: 2.26 (465)
Maiden %: 26.7%
…………………………………
4 – ADAM BURNS
Econ rate: 2.28 (3114)
Maiden %: 31.1%
…………………………………
5 – SHAUN KNOTT
Econ rate: 2.35 (472)
Maiden %: 30.1%
…………………………………
6 – NICK ROEBUCK
Econ rate: 2.37 (422)
Maiden %: 31.5%
…………………………………
7 – RICHARD WEBB
Econ rate: 2.38 (1660)
Maiden %: 27.2%
…………………………………
8 – DANIEL HOLAHAN
Econ rate: 2.39 (786)
Maiden %: 26.7%
…………………………………
9 – JOHN NEYLON
Econ rate: 2.39 (947)
Maiden %: 28.1%
…………………………………
10 – RODD BAKER
Econ rate: 2.45 (864)
Maiden %: 26.3%
…………………………………
11 – LEIGH McDERMOTT
Econ rate: 2.50 (1483)
Maiden %: 26.0%
…………………………………
12 – TYRONE DOWNIE
Econ rate: 2.51 (438)
Maiden %: 34.5%
…………………………………
13 – DARREN CLUTTON
Econ rate: 2.52 (1083)
Maiden %: 28.5%
…………………………………
14 – MARK BLABEY
Econ rate: 2.53 (552)
Maiden %: 23.9%
…………………………………
15 – BEN IRWIN
Econ rate: 2.56 (652)
Maiden %: 25.5%
…………………………………
16 – CAM McGLASHAN
Econ rate: 2.58 (734)
Maiden %: 26.2%
…………………………………
17 – SHANE HARLING
Econ rate: 2.59 (1077)
Maiden %: 26.0%
…………………………………
18 – TIM EDWARDS
Econ rate: 2.60 (696)
Maiden %: 26.0%
…………………………………
19 – TODD FRISWELL
Econ rate: 2.60 (551)
Maiden %: 26.0%
…………………………………
20 – CORY JACOBS
Econ rate: 2.61 (1499)
Maiden %: 27.4%
…………………………………
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.