Simmonds takes it all in his stride

Since joining Belvoir from Kiewa, the young spinner has taken 13 wickets, hit the winning runs off the final ball to guide CAW into the Konica Minolta Twenty20 Cup semi-finals and had 25 clubmates cover themselves in zinc cream at training in a light-hearted dig at his recent photo in The Border Mail.

Simmonds, 20, is taking it all in his stride.

“It’s been good fun.” Simmonds said.

“The boys have accepted me well and I’m enjoying it.

“I knew Mick Russell after living with him overseas and he plays footy with us at Kiewa.

“We had a chat and then I got to know a few of the boys from the under-23s and that’s how I ended up at Belvoir.

“The cricket has been good.”

Simmonds attracted the attention of Belvoir after taking 41 wickets at 10.73 for Kiewa last season and hasn’t disappointed anyone at Kelly Park.

But he admitted it had been a big step-up.

“The depth is the big difference,” he said.

“Teams go deeper in the batting and bowling.

“Getting to bowl against players like Steve Wood, David Farrell and Andrew Lade is a big challenge each week.

“I had heard their names before, but getting the chance to bowl to them has been good and I just try and improve with every game I play.”

Eagles skipper and fellow spinner Ryan McNeil said Simmonds was more than holding his own and believed the experience of playing for CAW last weekend would only help his cricket.

“Zac is a great young kid and fantastic addition to our club,” McNeil said.

“He works hard at training each week and listens to feedback, which shows he wants to improve his cricket.

“His performances so far speak for themselves and I think he will only get better as the season goes on.”

Simmonds, who was only called into the CAW team to play in Canberra last Friday, said it was difficult not to learn from East Albury star and CAW skipper James McNeil.

McNeil (74 not out) and Simmonds (30 not out) hit 68 runs off the final six overs to chase down Tuggeranong’s score of 7-164, with Simmonds bringing up the winning runs with a boundary off the final delivery.

“It was a good day,” he said.

“It was looking a bit hairy in the first game and winning on the last ball was a good feeling.

“James McNeil is a pretty accomplished batsman.

“He has all the shots.

“He would hit a four to mid-wicket and they would put one back and then he would hit a lap shot.”

Belvoir slumped to its first loss of the season against Lavington last weekend and is desperate to hit back against an in-form St Patrick’s today.

While the absence of Nat Sariman and Tom Cencic will hurt the Eagles, Simmonds said there was a positive feeling in the camp.

“We had a hiccup last week letting ourselves down with the bat in particular and hopefully we can bounce back,” he said.