Cricket: Evans in top carnival form

Cricket's rising star of the South West continues to shine.

After negotiating the first half of the season in a blaze of runs Capel tyro Jacob Evans continued his stellar run with a man-of-the-series performance at the Lords Taverners Regional Carnival in Perth last week to take his season runs tally past the 1000 mark.

After a frustrating rained off Monday, Evans led the South West to unqualified success in the Perth carnival.

‘‘Certainly it is the best the South West have done since the start of these carnivals with huge wins,’’ said WACA Country High Performance Manager Andy Cottam.

‘‘Not only did the boys put daylight between them and the rest, it was the way they went about it.’’

Coach Greg Overton and his assistant Dave McKay have been working on this since July through the Perdaman Cricket Academy and had the team disciplined and focused throughout causing comment from many officials, parents and spectators at the carnival.

And then there was Evans.

After a monster minor league season the natural position for Evans was to lead the South West Under-16s as captain which he did with aplomb.

Tuesday was a big day for the South West, taking on last years winners Great Southern and handing them a six wicket beating with Evans scoring 60 and his vice-captain, Connor Blakely 61 not out.

Then came the change to Twenty20 format for the Wednesday with South West walloping Eastern Goldfields by six wickets with Keaton Spencer-Wright top scoring on 33 as the South West lost four wickets in their chase for 95.

Central Wheatbelt was also no match for the remarkable Evans who stormed to a hurricane 103 off just 50 balls to spearhead the South West to 186 off their 20 overs before restricting Centrals 7-76.

The results are expected to serve as the perfect precursor to junior Country Week, that begins next Monday, January 3, and runs until Sunday.