Photo Credit: South Australian Cricket Association
South Australian opener batter Henry Hunt’s first-class career has soared to new heights this summer, and it is no wonder given the number of feathers that now adorn his baggy red cap.At just 25 years of age, Hunt has today been named the 2021/22 Marsh Sheffield Shield Player of the Year, an award he will share with Victorian Travis Dean in recognition of the weight of crucial runs scored by both when called upon by their State.
For Hunt, it is another milestone in a season bursting with positivity highlighted by the honour of captaincy in the absence of Travis Head and Alex Carey, three centuries in Shield cricket and debuts in the Marsh One Day Cup and KFC Big Bash.
No other player celebrated a trio of tons in first-class cricket this summer, and it speaks volumes of Hunt’s character that his were all scored at vital moments in the West End Redbacks season.
Coming on the road against Western Australia, the first century clearly articulated the leadership seen in Hunt by his coaches as he responded to a 150-run first innings deficit by hitting 14 boundaries on his way to 108 from 245 to wrestle his side back into contention.
Set against a backdrop of wild weather and difficult conditions in Tasmania, the second perfectly showcased Hunt’s determination in the form of a fighting knock while wickets regularly fell 22 yards away. When the fifth Redbacks player had made the disconsolate walk from the middle back to the pavilion, just 83 runs had been noted in the scorebook, 55 of which belonged to Hunt. When the final wicket fell, Hunt had amassed 134 from 236 deliveries, punctuated by three huge sixes that saw the ball exit the venue and take up residence in neighbouring gardens.
Completing the hat-trick with a captain’s knock that led the Redbacks to victory over NSW, Hunt ended the season with a first innings century to lay the foundation for triumph at Karen Rolton Oval. In the second stanza of the same game, Hunt would pass 600 runs in Shield cricket for the season, a remarkable effort matched by only Victorian skipper Pete Handscomb.
Spending huge amounts of time at the crease this summer, Hunt personally faced exactly 1300 deliveries, or 216 overs, on his way to 601 runs at an average of 46.23. Following his efforts in the 2020/21 season that yielded 628 runs at 44.85, including two centuries and three half centuries, Hunt has proven that he not only belongs at the elite level but the coming years way well hold even higher honours.
