Last updated at 10:09, Friday, 05 February 2010

HEXHAM cricketer Tom Cant is continuing to impress during his spell Down Under.

For the teenager from Tynedale has just compiled his first senior century in the most trying of circumstances.

Cant's previous highest score was 100 retired off 56 balls for Tynedale under 15s against Ponteland over four years ago, and next to that was a 99 for Northumberland U17s.

Last Saturday, Tom's Aussie team Yinnar Raiders were chasing 266 in 80 overs against Glengarry.

They quickly found themselves in trouble at 7-3 which soon became 30-4 when Tom walked to the crease.

“Tom the Pom” stood firm, but wickets tumbled around as the scoreboard read 31-5 5 and then 63-6.

A 55-run partnership with 14-year-old Liam Maynard, with whose family Tom is staying this winter, steadied the ship.

It seemed all over when three more wickets fell for eight runs, leaving Yinnar on 126-9 and the last pair at the wicket.

With 140 still needed to win and the number 11 with him Tom, now on 56, began to take most of the strike, refusing singles and looking for boundaries.

Quickly getting in to the 90s it took him four balls to pass through the nervous nineties, bringing his 100 up with a six over midwicket.

His innings came to an end on 113, when he was adjudged lbw.

There were 3.3 overs left, and Yinnar were on 188, still 77 short.

The partnership with the number 11 was worth 62, a club record.

Tom scored 57 of the 62 and the number 11 scoring just four, with one extra.

First published at 09:38, Friday, 05 February 2010
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk