SATURDAY MAY 5 2018 SPORT 73 Langer’s Express quick returns reign set to be very different to NT faster than ever ROBERT CRADDOCK THIS much is certain about JOSH SPASARO Justin Langer’s four-year reign as Australian coach – it EXPRESS paceman Aaron won’t be boring. Summers returns to the Dar- Darwin Eagles express paceman Langer’s appointment win Eagles for today’s Premier Aaron Summers returns to prompted me to re-read his League one-day clash against Premier Grade cricket and will motivational-autobiographical Waratah at Kahlin Oval, and line up against Waratah at Kahlin work Seeing The Sunrise, which has indicated a season down Oval today Picture: JUSTIN KENNEDY is filled with life lessons that south could have made him a have moulded his spiritual and faster bowler. tangential view of the world. Summers has fond memor- Langer once had a crippling ies of the 2017-18 season, mak- fear of heights but he con- ing his debut for the Hobart quered it when his grandfather Hurricanes in the Big Bash took him to the top floor of a League, and playing two games construction site and said: “Jus- in Tasmania’s Futures League tin, don’t look down, look up.’’ team. Langer had been a quiver- It was a fairytale story for ing, fearful wreck as he climbed the towering paceman who to the top floor but looking up can bowl upwards of 140km/h, liberated his fears and set him and who has served as Palmer- free. ston Reds’ closing pitcher. Langer claims the experi- NT Cricket’s senior man- ence was not simply phobia- ager of pathways, Mark Sorell, conquering but life-changing, was impressed with his bowl- as looking up not down became ing in last year’s Strike League. a metaphor for the way he Sorell sent the vision to wanted to live his life. Ryan Harris, the legendary Rarely have a coach and former Aussie quick now serv- player been more suited to each ing as a high performance other than Langer and John coach at Brisbane’s National Buchanan who, like Langer, Cricket Centre. loved peeping beyond tra- Harris then recommended ditional boundaries. Summers to states down south When Buchanan became before Tasmania swooped, of- coach of Australia, Langer was fering him a rookie contract. a battling fringe player averag- “I hope so,” Summers told ing 33 after 24 Tests. the NT News when asked if Seven years later he retired playing on the Apple Isle made with an average of 45 after a him a faster bowler. 105-Test career with the coach “I’m in a lot better shape having much to do with the rise now than when I was last year. of Langer’s career and his self- “I had hamstring and ankle esteem. injuries then. This year I’m a It will be interesting to see lot fitter. whether Langer connects with “I didn’t think I’d end up any Australian players in the playing in the Big Bash. Things way Buchanan connected with happened quickly for me.” him. If anyone could get the Summers, who took 20 best out of the Marsh boys, for New Town in the Langer, who has known them Cricket Tasmania Premier since they were babies, would League over the summer, said appear to be the man. he could not wait to take on Langer is very close with Waratah today. Cameron Bancroft, who lied Both teams played in last and cheated in the ball tamper- year’s one-day final, Darwin ing scandal in South Africa and winning by 94 runs. may never be chosen again, so “The first thing I did before that has not been one of his coming up here was look at the mentoring triumphs. fixture and see when we’d be Langer is a great admirer of playing Waratah,” Summers Wayne Bennett, who he met said. through Buchanan, particularly “Brad Schmulian and James Bennett’s views on persever- Seymour are very good bats- while in Darwin were to de- intriguing clash. Palmerston it was the benchmark team last Tracy Village and Nightcliff ance. men, and they’ve been Wara- fend the Eagles’ one-day title, (three- win over Dar- week,” PINT club – both winless – will be desper- A favourite Bennett quote of tah’s best batsmen for the past as well as the City Cyclones’ win) and PINT (six-wicket win Simon Lavers said. ate for victory at Tracy Village Langer’s is: “So often we are so five years. Strike League crown, before v Tracy Village) were impress- “Our left-arm offspinner Uli Oval. close to our objectives only to “It’s always a good chal- heading back to Hobart. ive last week. Van Duyker (5-21) bowled very Star Tasmanian batsman walk away. Burke and Wills lenge bowling to them.” Palmerston v PINT at Ca- “We’re looking forward to smart, and we’ve got a full- Jake Doran (hamstring) re- died of thirst not knowing there Summers said his aims zalys Oval shapes as another this game – Palmerston proved strength pace attack.” turns for the hosts. was water over the next hill.’’ Gill helps Kolkata sink Watson’s Chennai Smith ready to begin road to redemption

SHANE Watson’s Chennai home on 4-180 with 14 balls to Gill was given good support by STEVE Smith is back in Aus- and fiancee Dani back in Syd- have given me. I now have a lot Super Kings have slumped to a spare. Karthik who produced a typi- tralia and ready to roll his ney and said he wouldn’t be to do to earn back your trust. six-wicket defeat to Kolkata But Kolkata did not get off cally swashbuckling 45 not out sleeves up as the deposed cap- taking his fight to earn back “To my Mum, Dad and Knight Riders, enabling the to the best start. Watson’s fel- off 18 balls, hitting seven fours tain begins his road to redemp- trust for granted. “It’s great to Dani you have been my rock hosts to climb up to third place low Australian Chris Lynn (12) and a six as Kolkata secured tion. be back home in Australia. I through this and I can’t thank in the smacked for two their fifth victory of the season. For the past few weeks have had some time away to you enough. Family is the most table. sixes in the first over but was Put into bat, Watson (36) Smith has been laying low in come to terms with everything important thing in the world Replying to Chennai’s 5-177, then caught at slip off the same and (27) pro- New York but yesterday made and now it’s time to get back and I thank you for your love 18-year-old Shubman Gill stole bowler. vided a quick start for Chennai. his first appearance on social into it,” wrote Smith. and support.” the show with an unbeaten 57 Robin Uthappa also went then bowled media in a month to thank the “The amount of emails and Smith was greeted back by off 36 balls, putting on an un- cheaply before Sunil Narine Du Plessis with a googly before public for giving him a second letters I have received has been his former coach Darren Leh- broken 83 off 36 deliveries for made 32 off 20 balls and Gill, Watson and (31) chance and his family for their incredible and I have been ex- mann, who tweeted “welcome the fifth wicket with skipper promoted to number four, took shared a second-wicket part- undying support. tremely humbled by the enor- home mate” in response to the to see his team the game away from Chennai. nership of 43. Smith posted a photo of he mous amount of support you 28-year-old’s post.

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