Ash Bolt
Hayden Butterworth has joined the ranks of some of Geelong Cricket Club’s greatest batters, after hitting his third century in five games against Fitzroy Doncaster on Saturday.
The 33-year-old has become just the sixth Cat to hit three centuries in a single home-and-way Victorian Premier Cricket season.
Others to do it include current Australian limited overs captain Aaron Finch in 2007-08, as well as Jason Bakker, Tom Elliott, Liam Buchanan and Clinton Peake, who did it twice.
Butterworth hit 102 from 142 balls, including seven boundaries, opening the batting, as the Cats set 8/236 from their 50 overs against Fitzroy Doncaster.
He was supported by captain Josh McDonald, who hit 42 before he was stumped, and Liam Blackford, who chipped in 30.
However it wasn’t enough for the Cats to claim the win, with current Australian star Glenn Maxwell putting on a masterclass in the Lions’ batting inning.
Maxwell blasted 122 from 90 balls, with 14 fours and five sixes, to guide the Lions to a three-wicket win with 16 balls remaining.
His Melbourne Stars teammate Brody Couch was the pick of the Cats’ bowlers, finishing with 3/30 from his 10 overs.
Dom McGlinchey took 2/48 from eight overs, including the prized wicket of Maxwell in the 29th over, with the score at 3/167.
Despite regular wickets falling after Maxwell’s dismissal, an unbeaten half-century from Liam Banthorpe guided the Lions to victory.
Butterworth’s century was his third of the season, after scoring 104 against Kingston Hawthorn in December before the Christmas break and 107 against Casey South Melbourne two weeks ago.
In between his last two tons he also hit an 85 against Dandenong, as well as a 68 earlier in the season.
He has hit 581 runs for the season from nine games, placing him second in the Premier Cricket firsts runs leaderboard behind Ringwood’s Tom Rogers on 717.
Saturday’s century was also his ninth overall for the Cats’ firsts, since making his debut for the team in the 2010-11 season.
