Marist star Brayden Clarke becomes second South West product to win Southern Smash T20 tournament in Albany

A South West star has become just the second player from the region to win a championship at the Great Southern’s growing bonanza of T20 cricket. Marist’s Brayden Clarke featured in Inswing Ignition’s back-to-back championship winning side at the Southern Smash — a showcase of some of the State’s best premier and regional cricketers in Albany. He was among a list of six players with South West links to take part in the tournament, which expanded to include six teams this year. Clarke, who averages 44.8 in the Bunbury and Districts Cricket Association so far this season, was pushed down the order for Ignition and did not feature once with the bat — instead used primarily for his leg-spin. He played a crucial role with the ball, taking eight wickets at just 10.1 across the three round games, before bowling an economical spell of 0-22 from four in the middle overs of the grand final. Deployed after the powerplay restrictions were lifted, Clarke’s first over went for just four runs. Bowling to Ireland international spinner Jacob Mulder and former first-class player Alex Bevilaqua, Clarke’s third consecutive over saw him dispatched to the boundary for the only time in the innings. More cricket: In his fourth and final over, a wayward cut shot from South Perth beanpole Bevilaqua almost found its way to an aggressive first slip before a faster and flatter ball from Clarke also found its way between bat and pad in his two best chances for the game and his most dangerous over. Chasing down the Avengers’ lean total of 95, Ignition became the first team to win the tournament in consecutive years and Clarke became the second South West talent, after Tyler King last season, to win the tournament. Colts all-rounder Cruize Ciallella, who was a late call-up to Elders Avengers before the tournament, featured in the losing side on grand final day. Batting at five, a flurry of early wickets brought Ciallella to the crease inside the first five overs and he dug deep to grind out a partnership with WACA-contracted rookie Bryce Jackson. After helping Jackson steady the ship, he then holed out to mid-off, trying to cross-bat a back-of-a-length ball from Claremont-Nedlands bowler Bill Mallon. The Bunbury pair were joined by Donnybrook captain Bradman May, boom Eaton recruit Julian Crudeli and YOBS pair Ben Payne and Troyden Thorp, who now plays for Scarborough. Crudeli, an Albany product and one of the big names in the tournament, headlined his campaign with a match-winning 59 for his Retravision Warriors against the Camtrans Bulldogs and took five wickets at an average of 12.