He's built up a reputation as one of St Pat's Old Boys' biggest hitters in modern times but Derryn Clayton had to channel a rare patient side of his batting game during the weekend's Bathurst Orange Inter District Cricket (BOIDC) grand final.
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That patience almost delivered his team a premiership.
Clayton's knock of 47 runs from 112 deliveries brought his Saints' within a whisker of glory against Cavaliers at Wade Park, as his 53 run partnership with Percy Raveneau (24) dug the Bathurst side out of a seemingly hopeless position.
Raveneau came to the middle with the score at 7-86, with a target of 167 looking like an intimidating task, but he and Clayton chipped away over a pressure-filled 90 minutes out in the middle.
Raveneau was eventually trapped in front by the player of the grand final, Kyle Buckley (5-53), to make it 8-139 and Bailey Ferguson soon dismissed Clayton in the same way to leave the score at 9-152.
The grand final came to end a few runs later, at 155, as another Ferguson wicket led the big celebrations from Cavaliers.
His team might not have got the result but Clayton's effort with the bat is one worth remembering.
That's especially because the natural slogger was spending the entirety of his innings fighting the urge to play his natural game.
Had it paid off it would have been an innings for club folklore, though on a personal level it's a knock that gives Clayton plenty of self belief.
"There were a lot of head noises and a lot of continually talking to myself ball after ball. You've got to talk yourself through these situations," he said.
"I'm getting a bit older and only now learning to have a bit of patience late in my career, but it is what it is.
"Watching these younger boys and how they go it - waiting, waiting and waiting for a bad ball before they pounce on it - has been a learning thing for me as well."
Standing tall in a tricky situation
The Saints' often reliable top order faltered in the grand final, with captain Adam Ryan (22) the only player to make a start.
Clayton spoke to Ryan before heading out to the middle and tried to calm himself.
It did the trick, as he got stuck into the Cavaliers attack alongside Brendon Cutmore (16).
"As I said to Rhino, just before I walked out to bat, he asked how I was feeling. I was honestly nervous, and shaking, and trying to put that behind me and not focus on it," he said.
"I got out there, and knew what my role was, and going out there with 'Cutters' was great. He's a patient person but he's got a lovely front foot drive. He's a pleasure to bat with but he fell to injury and ended up having to stand and deliver.
"Percy and I then built an innings together and he was great to bat with. Patience was always going to be the big thing but battling the nerves was the other side of things.
"The was sometimes a ball in the slot and you had to battle the little noises in the back of your head saying 'You can beat that fielder on the rope. You know you can do it'."
Captain proud of his side's efforts
St Pat's fought their way into the top four and established themselves as a serious threat midway through the season.
From there they scored the big upset over Orange CYMS in the preliminary final to put themselves in a position to win a premiership.
They came up short in a bid to add to their 2021-22 BOIDC crown but Ryan said the team showed plenty of character.
"We ended up being 8-139 towards the end there, which is exactly where Cavs were at the end of yesterday's play, so it was anyone's game. It turned out to be an epic final," he said.
"I couldn't have asked for much more out of the boys this year, especially with the injuries that happened, and it was amazing to see everyone turning up for one another."
Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
