For English import Luke Robinson the decision to come to Australia and play for Plenty Valley was an easy one.
His Lincolnshire club, Lindum, and the Bats had formed a relationship in the past couple of seasons and Robinson was keen to keep it going.
Dan Taylor and Pierce Morley-Barnes played with the Bats three summers ago, while Will Wright came out last season.
Simon Bray and Brad Mitchell returned the favour by heading to England for a season each.
“I thought I would keep it going,” Robinson said last week. “I spoke with Darren Callahan [Bats president] and a couple of weeks later we had it sorted out.”
Robinson has settled well with Plenty Valley, averaging more than 50 with the bat. He is the only player in VSDCA north-south XI to have scored two centuries this season.
“I feel like I’m in good form,” he said. “The two games I’ve made centuries in were very different. The second game, I struggled in 35-degree heat.”
Robinson has also had an impact with the ball, taking 11 wickets.
“I’ve been lucky to get a bowl,” he said. “I’m more of a batsman. I don’t usually take a lot of wickets. I just usually bowl towards the end of an innings and try to keep it tight.”
His bowling highlight has been a hat-trick against St Bernards in a T20 match, not that Robinson or his teammates realised straight away.
“We needed something to happen to get back into the game,” he said.
“It didn’t cross my mind until after the third wicket.
“I realised but I don’t think anyone else did. There was a long pause between wickets. I was in the huddle when I realised and there was a lot of slapping on the head.”
It’s not the first time Robinson has played in Australia – he played with Blackburn South Cricket Club as an 18-year-old. He’s keen to return to Australia for a third season.
“I always wanted to come back out for a second season,” he said,
“When I get home, I would have been playing cricket for a full year.
“I’ll take a month off when I get back to make sure I don’t get bored with cricket.
“Then I’ll play for my club and hopefully come back and play for the Bats again.
“If I can work out a visa and Plenty Valley are happy to have me back, I’ll return.”
For now, he is intent on helping the Bats secure a grand final berth and hopefully a premiership.
On Saturday, the Bats restricted Caulfield to 202.
Stephen Tsonas was the best of the bowlers, taking three wickets.
