'We'd be a number of spots lower if it wasn't for Chatty': Jets

Chathura Damith is the BDCA's leading run-scorer after 10 rounds with 537. Picture by Enzo Tomasiello

SMARTER shot selection is one of the key attributes Strathfieldsaye captain Ben Devanny puts down to the sparkling season from team-mate Chathura Damith with the bat in the Bendigo District Cricket Association this season.

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Coming off a preliminary final appearance last year, the Jets were predicted to be one of the BDCA's sliders in 2023-24 after a significant turnover of personnel during the off-season.

However, with two rounds left in the home and away season the Jets have defied those predictions of a tumble to be fourth on the ladder with a 6-4 record and very much a live finals prospect.

And they largely have Damith - and fellow Sri Lankan Savith Priyan - to thank for remaining in the upper half of the BDCA ladder.

Damith is shaping as one of the firm favourites for this season's BDCA Cricketer of the Year such has been his consistency.

He leads the competition in runs with 537 at an average of 59.6, is No.9 with the ball with 22 wickets at an average of 14.5 and holds the lead in the Addy MVP rankings with 1007 points.

While Damith has been consistent with the ball throughout his previous five seasons with the Jets, it's his batting that has gone to a whole new level this summer.

"I think a lot of it this year with Chatty when it comes to his batting has been his shot selection," Devanny said on Thursday.

Strathfieldsaye all-rounder Chathura Damith in action in the BDCA Twenty20 competition this season Picture by Enzo Tomasiello

"Having bowled to him in the nets for five years I had always thought he was a better batsman than bowler.

"When he'd bat in the nets he'd just have all the time in the world and hit the ball so cleanly, but in previous years he had probably let himself down with some of the shots he played and hadn't got as many runs as he was capable of.

"This year his shot selection has been a lot better and that is showing in the scores he made. He has always been a class batsman and we are now seeing that regularly."

BREAKTHROUGH CENTURY

Last Saturday was a watershed day for No.5 Damith with his first BDCA century for the Jets.

Damith scored an unbeaten 101 at Tannery Lane as Strathfieldsaye (7-177) beat White Hills (123) to maintain its position in the top four.

Damith's breakthrough ton in what was his 80^th career innings for the Jets came one game after a near-miss when he was dismissed the previous round for 97 against Huntly North.

"He has got a few hundreds back home in Sri Lanka, so it was great to see him get over the line with one here," Devanny said.

As well as his 537 runs, Damith also has 22 wickets for Strathfieldsaye in the BDCA this season. Picture by Darren Howe

"The beauty of being able to watch games on Frogbox these days is there was quite a few club supporters who when he got to 85 or so came down to the ground to watch him get his hundred."

Not for the first time this season Damith had to dig the Jets out of a precarious position against the Demons.

Having started last Saturday 0-25 the Jets lost three quick wickets to fall to 3-35 when Damith began his innings.

The previous round Damith started his innings against Huntly North at 3-8, with his 97 helping the Jets to a winning score of 219.

In round seven against Eaglehawk the Jets were 3-24 when Damith came in and went on to make 84.

And in round five he scored 87 after coming in at 3-32 against Bendigo United.

"We were in trouble a number of times last Saturday, so to have Chatty guide us over the line and then cash in at the end and get a hundred was great," Devanny said.

"It was a track where everyone on both teams apart from Chatty struggled to score on. If you look at the strike rates, they were relatively slow for both teams except for Chatty and he was just in a different class."

Damith's 101 n.o, came off 123 balls - a strike-rate of 82.1 - with 13 boundaries and two sixes.

Outside of Damith, the average strike rate for the rest of the Jets and Demons players was just 15.8.

"Unfortunately, we're putting him under pressure most weeks and are relying heavily on him," Devanny said.

"It would be fair to say we'd be a number of spots lower on the ladder if Chatty wasn't doing what he currently is."

Following Damith's maiden century for the Jets last Saturday he followed up the next day by being part of the Sporties Spitfires team that won the Goulburn Valley Bush Bash League grand final against the Hurley Hotel Hounds to cap a big weekend.