PROMISING Marburg-Mt Crosby Thunder cricket teenager Hayden Rovera can recall each of the deliveries that secured his first hat-trick.
Playing in Thunder’s Level 3 side against Brothers, Hayden took two wickets at the end of one over before completing the three-wicket milestone with the first ball of his next over.
The right-handed leg spin bowler knew straight away what he had achieved.
“The first ball was to a left-hander,” Hayden, 13, said. “It felt like a wrong’un and he edged it to first slip.
“Then the second ball, a rightie [right-handed batter] came in and he hit it to point and that was the end of the over.
“So I had to come back the next over and the hat-trick ball was a pretty bad ball. It was a full toss that somehow just went straight up and the slip [fielder] ran around and caught it.”
Hayden finished the innings with 3/29.
Hayden is one of the rising talents at the Thunder club.
He made his Third Grade senior team debut earlier this season on another memorable occasion.
His dad Mark, a former Colleges Crossing soccer player, padded up to also play his first match in the same game against Brothers.
The Thunder father and son shared in an enjoyable last innings stand.
“It was actually my first game because I’m not a cricketer,” Mark said.
“He batted nine and I batted 11 and we got to bat together.”
Mark was glad he tried cricket to provide extra encouragement for Hayden.
“I thought that would be pretty cool,” Mark said.
Hayden batted at three in his second Third Grade match.
He took 1/5 off three economical overs and scored 31 batting at seven in the later game against the Tigers.
Mark impressed with 4/29 off his seven overs in the Tigers encounter at North Ipswich.
As Hayden continues his transition to senior cricket, he still has junior commitments to fulfil.
The year 8 Ipswich Grammar School student has been chosen in the SEQ team for the third year in a row, preparing to represent the under-14 zone at the state titles at the Gold Coast this month.
“I’m hoping to improve my game in that. I’m opening the batting,” Hayden said.
Hayden’s favourite cricketer is Australian player Marnus Labuschagne.
His supportive dad Mark has returned from a thumb injury he received playing Fassifern in the Third Grade competition. He was bowling when a ball he tried to stop injured his hand.
However, Mark is delighted at how Hayden is progressing since starting cricket aged five with Norths before switching to Thunder.
“He’s always sort of been pushed up and been playing at a level above so he’s not a stranger to it,” Mark said.
“He just loves cricket, enjoys playing.”
Mark and wife Louise also have younger sons Tyler (in Level 2B) and Blake (in Level 3) similarly developing their cricket skills with Thunder.
But as the oldest, Hayden is making the first jump into the senior ranks stepping up when required.
He said the toughest part was facing taller, stronger people.
“The height – they get a lot of bounce off the turf, especially when you’re bowling,” he said. Hayden turns 14 in February.
“They can hit you around a lot. They have more power.
“But it is a good experience – lots of different bowlers, lots of different ages.
“I started bowling at one training session and the coach said I should give it a go.”
An ever-smiling Hayden is keen to do that as he enjoys building his cricket career with Thunder.
