By Tyler Lewis
Mesmerising.
It’s simply the only way to describe the 163 minutes Frankston Peninsula opener Vishesh Bansal spent at the crease on Saturday against Fitzroy Doncaster.
When Bansal strode to the middle after his skipper won the toss and elected to bat, his highest score in Victorian Premier Cricket First XI was just 48, but when he left 108 balls later, his highest score now stands at 137.
It was a square drive off Lions seamer Nick Fletcher that got the lefty away, before an array of pull strokes in the 20’s and 30’s shifted him into gear.
It was Fletcher again at the wrong end of the onslaught, as Bansal put consecutive short balls well and truly over the mid-wicket fence.
The scariest part… he didn’t look like he middled either of them.
Bansal appeared as he was about to give it away after the pair of maximums, wanting to go at each and every delivery.
But after he was chanced a life-line on 38, it appeared the dasher re-collected his thoughts and started again, showing determination to convert the brilliantly established platform.
He maturely brought up his century with a hook shot into the deep, laconically raising his blade to applauding teammates in the 29th over.
If it wasn’t party time already with 100 from just 91 balls to his name, it certainly was once he reached the triple-figure milestone, taking his next 17 deliveries for a scintillating 37 runs.
The highlight of the post century ambush: a slog-sweep six that climbed over the protective netting and onto the roof of a second story house out of the ground.
Despite many Premier Cricket onlookers begging he go on to make a double-century, Bansal held out in the 35th over for an entertaining 137 from 108 balls, a knock that included ten boundaries and an outstanding nine sixes.
After compiling an innings of such calibre, Bansal exited the field without raising his bat.
The young left-hander spoke to the Gazette and revealed why:
“Yeah because after 137 I played a bad shot and I was disappointed with myself,” he said.
“I wanted to get a good score like 170-180. In the drinks break I had a chat with the coach (Paul Boraston) and he said ‘don’t play any rash shots… you could go on and make a big score’.
“So because of that one rash shot I was disappointed with myself,” Bansal said.
Before this innings, Bansal’s best score was below 50, so the innings – to some – would have come from the clouds, but Bansal believes it’s a reward for some of the hard-work he did in the off-season.
“In the off-season I have been mainly working on my mental fitness and normal fitness,” he said.
“Not doing much skill training, just focusing on fitness.
“I was very lucky that my chance was dropped, after that I gave myself a few minutes and I was like ‘I have given myself a good start, I need to bat a long time now’.
“I wanted to get a good score for the team.
“I think the stuff I have been working on in the off-season has paid off,” Bansal said.
The Heat defended its score of 271, defeating the Lions by 27 runs.
