MARBURG-Mt Crosby Thunder cricket captain Mitch Raine knows he has an important leadership role guiding a young first division side.
However, the Walloon State School HPE teacher is eager to set a positive example.
Raine did in Thunder’s latest battle with the Lockyer Valley Vikings, scoring 92 in the first innings and 31 batting again as the team fought hard to deny their opponents an outright victory.
“It’s just trying to develop them, just get them to compete every week,” Raine said.
“Just try and help them create a new culture at the club.”
Raine, 27, is in his first season as skipper.
He is one of the senior players in a team featuring a number of Thunder juniors eager to establish first-grade careers. The average age of the side is 19.
“Every week they are getting better,” Raine said.
“It’s just helping them learn to switch on the whole day.”
Batting at five, Raine offers some middle order stability.
He praised his team for displaying plenty of fight in their latest first grade encounter at Tivoli.
After scoring 143 in the first innings, Thunder watched the Vikings post 8/265 before searching for an outright result.
Thunder finished the day at 9/95, gaining confidence having denied their opponents maximum points.
James Bent dug in scoring five off 50 deliveries late in the day to help his team’s cause.
It was Thunder’s third game of the 2023-24 Cricket Ipswich season after earlier losses to the Tigers and defending champions Centrals.
Working with new head coach Brad Murphy, Raine is eager to see the young guns step up and show what they can do with bat and ball.
“He [Murphy] is showing us different ways at training, showing a lot of young fellas what it takes to be a first-grader,” Raine said.
Raine’s 92 run effort against the Viking came off 130 deliveries and featured nine fours and four sixes.
“Just trying a different sort of approach,” he said.
“In previous years, I’ve been a bit of a try and hit every ball. But this year, I have to take a bit of a smarter approach to batting and try to show the young fellas how to build an innings.
“I don’t mind it – helping the young fellas out.”
Debutants like wicketkeeper Luke Sheppard have shown promise. Sheppard scored a handy 39 batting at three against Centrals.
Fast bowler Ray Coleman has been leading the attack. He took 3-79 against the Vikings after a 4-38 haul in the round one match with the Tigers.
Leg spinner Bent snared 3-73 in the latest game.
Fast bowler Lachlan Pfeffer is another regular first grader.
Preparing for Saturday’s match against Brothers at Tivoli, Minden-based Raine was proud of his cricket upbringing.
He played for the [Marburg] Mustangs before a three-year stint with the Ipswich Hornets in second and third grade.
He started playing with Thunder as the club was admitted to first grade.
Mitch’s younger brother Nick is also in the squad.
