In a thrilling Round 3 contest, however, the home side just got there, scoring 8/238 thanks to a whirlwind innings of 80 by late order batsman Mason Wright.
It didn’t take long for 16 year-old Fraser to arrive at the batting crease, with Tasmania’s opening bowler - Mason Wright – also on fire early trapping both Vic Country’s openers in front for a duck and three, making the score 2/5.
Fraser and Max Parrott took the score to 41 before the latter was run out. Then an excellent partnership of 145 took place with Fraser, and Liam Biddiscombe who made 70 off 93 deliveries.
The left-hander Fraser was the last batsman out, having faced 133 balls, hitting five boundaries and scoring at a strike rate of 75.18.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Club President Glenn Brear was thrilled to hear of Jobe making a ton. “He has all the shots,” the president commented about the Caulfield Grammar student who previously attended Sacred Heart College.
“When he’s up here, he and his Dad are practising all day at Vic Park.”
Fraser made a second top score of 35 in Vic Country’s 206 to Queensland’s 4/208 in Round 2. In the first round of the national championships, NSW Country ripped through Vic Country, dismissing them for just 70 with Fraser making five runs.
In Monday’s Round 4 before the finals, NSW Metro was 1/40 when rain halted play. Fraser will resume playing with Camberwell in Melbourne’s top grade of cricket.
Talented youngster Jobe Fraser has been selected in the Victorian Country U17 Cricket squad, for the National U17 Championships in Ballarat from January 4-11.
Jobe is 15-years-of-age, turns 16 in February and has helped out playing junior cricket of a Saturday morning this season before fronting up in the afternoon as Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Club’s top A Grade batsman, batting at number 3.
When the Yarrawonga Chronicle caught up with Jobe last Thursday at practice, in the three games with the Lakers this season, the left-hand bat has made an unbeaten top score 65, 31 and another top score of 78 – in the previous week’s 8/163. Two of these games were against last season’s grand-finalists Wangaratta Magpies and Rovers United.
Club president Glenn Brear described Fraser as “well rounded in his cricket and wants to be successful”.
“He’s prepared to hit the ball and does not labor; plays shots and every ball on its merit,” Mr Brear said.
“He’s still growing into his cricket but has improved at the highest level since last season.
“Jobe could transition into something special.”
The classy left hander has been a part of the Under 17 academy and will represent the Camberwell Magpies in this season’s U16 Dowling Shield, in December and January, and the national championships.
Jobe is also a very handy bowler according to the Lakers president.
“Jobe is a good right hand change bowler who bowls leg breaks.”
Arguably the hardest ball to bowl in cricket and arguably the most exciting type of bowler, he has picked up a wicket in all three A Grade games this season, without a stack of runs from his back-of-the-hand deliveries.
The gifted allrounder’s junior cricket has all been in the local Yarrawonga Mulwala competition which began with the Under 12s but he was into cricket long before and loves the local cricket scene.
“ ‘Knighta’ (Matthew Knight, star cricketer/coach) has been fantastic, Reid Clarke (star cricketer) was throwing me balls since I was about six and Kyle Archibald’s (current coach) been very good with his communication and pushing me through,” Fraser said.
“Glenn Brear is a very good president. He represented the club very well and talks to everyone – he takes such a great interest in everyone.”
Of course Jobe’s Dad Lee could play cricket, the now 47-year-old retired cricketer had an excellent career with the Lakers as player and premiership coach, and Jobe’s brother Zac, 19, has plenty of talent, currently playing A Reserve. There’s naturally been a lot of cricket by and within the family with both sons in particular benefitting, and a proud Dad.
Since June this year, Jobe has been training at the Junction Oval, St Kilda with the state’s elite Under 17 cricketers, coached by Cricket Victoria Talent Development Specialist Shane Koop alongside Richmond’s head coach Shannon Young as assistant coach. One of four Geelong representatives in the squad, Oliver Peake, will captain the team.
Cricket Victoria’s Talent Development Manager Tom Evans, said it was a great opportunity for both Vic Metro and Vic Country sides to test their abilities against the best under 17 players in the country.
“All players that took part in the Emerging Under 17 Program have put in a great amount of hard work to continually improve themselves as cricketers and people over the last four months,” he said.
“We are looking forward to their continued development across Premier Cricket and working with our Under 17 coaches to hit the ground running and perform well at the National Championships in Ballarat.”
Of his selection in the Victorian Country Under 17 squad of 15 players, Jobe said: ‘I’m very happy and very keen to play in the national championships.
“I want to play the best possible cricket I can and be around the best possible cricketers I can.”
