Pumped up: Michael Archer will run out for Carlton in the Victorian Premier Cricket first XI grand final this weekend.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
One of Tatura’s favourite sons will proudly fly the Bulldogs’ flag in a bid for Victorian elite two-day cricket honours this weekend.
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The ripsnorting right-arm leg spinner runs out for Carlton as the Blues take on Casey-South Melbourne in the Victorian Premier Cricket first XI grand final.
His form is nothing short of white-hot heading into the clash.
Archer snared figures of 4-21 as Carlton decimated Prahran by 165 runs in the preliminary final, taking him to 32 poles for the season and lifting him into fifth on the competition’s wicket-taking charts.
He’s not getting ahead of himself, though.
“I guess it's pretty easy in cricket, you can get too high or too low,” he said.
“The week before (the prelim) I didn’t have a great week, so I go into each game feeling the same — don’t overhype it or don’t underhype it and play everything on its merits.
“I think if you get a little bit too ahead of yourself in cricket, it finds a way to come back and bite you on the backside. So I‘m trying not to get too up and about, no.”
Archer’s pragmatic approach is wise, considering Casey-South Melbourne’s depth.
The Swans boast Victoria Second XI batter Ashley Chandrasinghe, who has reeled off 830 runs at 63.9 this season, as well as league-leading bowler Nathan Lambden (46 wickets).
“Pretty similar to us, they’ve been able to get out of tricky situations all year and play some pretty positive cricket,” Archer said.
“No final is given to you, so it’ll be a pretty tough game.
“They’ve got some quality players, especially Chandrasinghe, Lambden’s had a really good year and (Ruwantha) Kellapotha. It’ll be tightly contested, hopefully like we have all year we’ll just find a way to win.”
Another Goulburn Valley gem will chase the win for Carlton alongside Archer.
Big Poppa: Karramomus export Andrew Poppa will also contest the Victorian Premier Cricket first XI final for Carlton.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
Karramomus product Andrew Poppa has been a permanent fixture within the Blues’ lower grades for several years, but after a few big scores in the second XI, the middle-order bat has been elevated to the first-grade mix.
While Poppa has popped through plenty of runs for Carlton for more than half a decade, Archer’s first season in blue has been liberating for the 27-year-old after moving from fellow VPC club Greenvale Kangaroos.
“I think it’s a credit to the people who are at Carlton,” he said.
“When you go to a new club you can sort of feel on the outer and struggle to get into it, but they’ve done a really good job of making me feel welcome and putting their arms around me and supporting me.
“It’s been nice to repay a little bit of the faith that they’ve shown there in getting me in the first place with some performances.
“It’s been good to be a group that’s winning more than they’re losing and seeing how a team with that sort of confidence goes about it. It’s been an eye-opener, that’s for sure.”
