Sport
18 December, 2023
Player of the Match Luke Smith speaks on Laanecoorie Dunolly's one-day final success
Luke Smith has shown a penchant for being incredibly humble in his time at Laanecoorie Dunolly, but one who does a lot of his talking with the bat. A terrific unbeaten 72 helped set the stage for Laane to maintain their long unbeaten run, as well as...
Luke Smith has shown a penchant for being incredibly humble in his time at Laanecoorie Dunolly, but one who does a lot of his talking with the bat.
A terrific unbeaten 72 helped set the stage for Laane to maintain their long unbeaten run, as well as their second premiership of the season on Saturday, with the performance marking his fifth half-century of the season.
As a result, Smith’s average now sits at a spellbinding 99.3.
Not that Smith thinks about it often.
“I’m not thinking about averages or personal runs when I’m out there, but for me, if I do well, the team does well. But an average of 99 is something that I can be proud of,” he said.
Smith was more interested in talking about securing another premiership for Laane.
“It’s a great feeling. I always enjoy winning, and finals are games you want to be a part of. It’s terrific to bring another trophy home for the boys,” he said.
“I enjoyed the first half of the season. It’s amazing, and winning two premierships is something we can always look back on.”
Before his big stint with the bat, Smith kept himself in the game on the field, making an impact with a direct-hit run out which removed Jack Smith.
That came after a tough missed catch, yet the recovery showed just how much Luke prides himself of good decision-making in the heat of battle.
“I enjoy fielding, and I love running around in the field, even though I’m a wicketkeeper myself,” he said.
“Once I couldn’t make the catch, I thought of what could happen next, and fortunately, we got a run-out, and someone who’s an in-form batsman as well.”
A highlight of Luke’s innings was the opportunity to bat with his great mate, Sergio Rosier, with the duo laying the groundwork with the bat by putting on a 49-run partnership for the second wicket.
Luke is all about chemistry, something he shares in spades with Rosier at the crease, and, most importantly, talks about the ideals of having fun when batting.
“It was good batting with Sergio — I really enjoyed it and we have such a good connection. When it comes to batting, chemistry does play a big part, it’s something we have, and I really enjoyed it,” he said.
“Having fun is a good bonus. When you aren’t having fun, there’s something wrong, so I just went out there and played my game, enjoyed myself, had fun, and at the end, we got the result we desired.”
Luke will now depart back home for South Africa for the time being, as he gets to spend the holiday season with his family, but is hoping he’ll make his mark on the two-day competition soon.
“I’ll be going home, but hopefully I’ll be returning soon,” he said.