ALASTAIR Templeton is refusing to get carried away with his first half-century of the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association season.
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The West Warrnambool opener top scored with 61 in the Panthers’ 11-run defeat to Woodford in round two action, to go with 13 in round one.
But Templeton knows the knock means little if he can’t back it up with runs when the season shifts to turf in a fortnight.
West meets Wesley-CBC in a Merri conference Twenty20 match at Allan Oval today, the last of three before one-day cricket takes over.
“Starting the year on hard wickets is a little bit easier as batsmen, you can get away with a lot more,” Templeton said.
“You wouldn’t take much out of the first few rounds. I don’t even see this week coming as a good indicator of anyone’s form.
“It’s a batsmen’s game, Twenty20. The fielders are always under the pump...we don’t play Twenty20s at the end of the year to decide it.
“At the end of the day it’s going to come down to the teams who are better for longer on turf, in 80-over games.” The level-headed approach is reflective of Templeton’s maturity as a cricketer.
Runs have long been an indictator of a batsman’s worth to their side, but Templeton has little regard for individual targets.
“I don’t do that at all. I think it’s easier to score runs from an individual point of view if you’re doing the team thing,” he said.
“It’s a lot easier to get motivated to win a game with your mates than to go out there and bat for yourself. I try and shy away from that as much as I can.”
Templeton has been a member in the Panthers’ division one side since the 2008-09 season, when he was still eligible for juniors.
The 22-year-old rose to opener 12 months later and has been a permanent fixture facing the new ball since.
His last campaign yielded 342 runs at 31.09 and a maiden century on an unforgettable afternoon against Nirranda.
West finished the day at 0-341. Englishman Karl Turner stole the show with 200 not out but Templeton was a capable ally, crafting 111 not out.
Templeton said Turner “taught us a lot about cashing in”. But his departure after the Panthers’ grand final victory was hardly a reason to panic.
“I don’t think much changes. You can’t replace a gun but people are going to be surprised with the Englishman we’ve got, Andrew Scott,” he said.
“He’s going to be a really good all-round player. From a captain’s point of view you want them in your team.”
As for his new opening partner, Templeton said West had “three or four” capable options in its ranks.
“It’ll be good to settle someone down but I can see three or four blokes rotating through and having an impact,” he said.
“With the way the season is set up, Twenty20s, one-dayers and two-dayers, I wouldn’t want to pin it on one person.”
In other Merri conference matches, Woodford meets East Warrnambool-YCW at Bushfield and Port Fairy hosts Russells Creek at Colledge Oval. Allansford welcomes Dennington to Allansford in the pick of the Hopkins conference action.
Nirranda plays unbeaten Merrivale at Nirranda and Brierly-Christ Church meets Nestles at Brierly.