Outrageous.
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That’s about the only adjective worthy of describing Harry Pearce’s performance during the 2016-17 Orange District Cricket Association (ODJCA) season.
As such, it’s no surprise he claimed the ODJCA’s cricketer of the year crown following last weekend’s grand finals.
Pearce was far-and-away the best-performed player throughout the summer across all age groups and piloted his Waratahs side to a dominant, undefeated title win in under 16s.
Pearce finished with 101 points in the ODJCA’s champion player stakes, with teammates Joey Kay (55.90) and Kaleb Cook (55.80) the closest to him. Even across the other age groups, no one came close.
Orange City’s Harry Grant was the next closest, finishing with 54.50 points in under 14s.
It’s Pearce’s numbers, which almost beggar belief, which earned him such a dramatic individual tally.
He topped the under-16 batting, bowling and fielding stakes this summer, in a show of his all-round ability.
Pearce passed 50 in exactly half of his innings this summer and those half-centuries, all unbeaten, were the catalyst for the 15-year-old scoring bang on 400 runs. He averaged 400 too, only being dismissed once and that was in early November.
Yep, he went almost four months without getting out.
Again, Kay (299) and Cook (298) were the next best while, due largely to being forced to retire earlier, no one in the lower age groups came within 100 runs.
In terms of bowling, Pearce topped the wicket-taking list with 14 – he shared the mark with Kinross’ Edward Taylor – and boasted an average of just 4.57.
He also took the most catches, pocketing five.
This summer has been a breakout season for the young paceman. While he plays his junior cricket with Waratahs he moved to Cavaliers of an afternoon, in a bid to break into an Orange District Cricket Association (ODCA) first grade side.
He did just that and has taken the new ball for the maroons.
He’s taken nine wickets at 19 in the top grade, acquitting himself well in his debut season.
Pearce also earned a Western Zone cap this summer, competing in Country Cricket NSW’s under-16 championship.
He was also named in the Western School Sports Association’s open side. He’ll be trying to help his side to an outright win over Centrals on Saturday.