Greenock Cricket Club’s James Fowler has every reason to smile after achieving a rare hat trick at the SACA Country Cup Carnival at Adelaide recently.
Catching up at Greenock Oval, The Leader spoke to James about his cricket career so far, and what he enjoys about playing for the local teams.
At his most recent achievement, James shared that he had represented Barossa and Light at the tournament in previous years, and that the hat trick was most unexpected.
Rare indeed, even more so considering it was at the tournament’s first day of five, Barossa and Light’s first match and against what James said were basically the opening batsmen.
“You get one (wicket), and then if you’re lucky enough you get two in a row, but you never expect to get three, you think your luck’s all gone after the second wicket in a row,” James said.
James’s hat trick could have potentially been history making as well.
“It could’ve been the first for the Barossa and Light in a hundred years that they’ve gotten a hat trick at that tournament,” James said.
“I’ve heard of others having hat tricks at that tournament so I’m not too sure if I’m the first ever, but I think I’m the first from Barossa and Light, but obviously I’m not too sure!”
Whether the record breaker is confirmed or not, James acknowledged that the hat trick was still an incredible accomplishment regardless.
“It was definitely an achievement…hat tricks don’t come around often,” he said.
James said he started playing cricket when he was really young, “when I could hold a bat basically,” adding that his parents definitely wanted him to be a cricketer, and have always been a great help with coaching and support.
For a time when he was in high school, James played for Port Adelaide Cricket Club in the SACA Premier Cricket Association.
However, when he began working in the Barossa, he moved his cricket allegiances back to Greenock.
“It was just easier for me to...play cricket for Greenock, and I’m more than happy to just play with my mates here and just enjoy the cricket for fun,” James said.
He shares that during his time on the metropolitan circuit, the cricket was more professional and there were different standards that needed to be met.
“For me it’s more about fun and enjoyment and having fun with my mates, that’s what cricket should be like,” James said.
“There’s long days and a lot of hot weather and you ask yourself, ‘what am I doing?’ but it’s the comradery, being around your mates and having fun and trying to get around each and their achievements and yours.
“It’s just the team that makes it worthwhile.”
The Leader even asked James about the correlation between grassroots sport and mental health, a topic which had been reported in this newspaper in recent weeks.
“It’s sort of a form of therapy, you come out and have a bowl and have a bat and you know whatever happened at work or something like that you can just forget about it,” James shared.
He adds that he has always been told although people have mixed opinions about cricket, those who play it do really enjoy the sport.
“I’ve always been told there’s two types of people, you love cricket or you hate it, so it’s obviously not for everyone, but the people who get out here and play it, there’s not a single person that doesn’t play a game of cricket and say I didn’t have fun,” James said.
“It’s the first leap of playing cricket really, I guess is what’s a bit daunting, the long days the hot weather, but you know, once you’re out here and you’re playing, you know not many people leave and they enjoy it.”