West Tamworth opener Daniel Collinson’s cricket career is notable for two distinct periods – before Mudaliar and after Mudaliar. BM and AM, if you like.
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The BM period consists of Collinson’s cricketing years up until last season, when he began one-on-one net sessions with Wests captain Dave Mudaliar to improve his batting.
The AM period started with the first net session.
Since seeking out the reigning player of the year’s help, you could say Collinson has become thrice the batsman.
In the 2015-16 season, he played four matches and scored 31 runs at an average of 9.50 and with a highest score of 31.
Last season, he played 14 matches and scored 220 runs at an average of 15.71. His highest score was 58, a career high at the time.
In six innings this season, he has posted 168 runs at an average of 33.60 and with a career highest score of 65 not out.
His four career half centuries have been scored since he began working with his opening batting partner.
The extra effort also resulted in Collinson’s elevation to the War Veterans Cup with Tamworth last season, which continued this season, and his selection in the Bolters side who played in the Plan B Regional Bash in Coffs Harbour in December.
Collinson’s focus on his batting followed the end of his pace bowling after suffering a bad knee injury playing for Quirindi, in Group 4’s now-defunct Second Division, prior to the 2014-15 season.
The allrounder now bowls off-spin. Last season he claimed 28 wickets at an average of 15.82 and with a best of 4-27.
He has been less effective this season, taking three wickets in 44 overs at an average of 74.67 and with a best of 1-32.
Ahead of Wests’ one-day clash against North Tamworth at Riverside 2 on Saturday, he said he had targeted making the Central North side.
“I just started enjoying batting a bit more once I started scoring a few more runs,” he said. “I thought I’d take it on a bit more than I usually would. [I’m] a lot more improved than when I first come to grade.”
Mudaliar, who has scored 308 runs at 51.3 this season, also works with Jake Whyler, who will make his first-grade debut against Norths.
Wests will look to bounce back from a heavy one-day loss to the then-winless Bective East at No.1 Oval in the last round. The defeat meant Norths leapfrogged Wests into second on the ladder.
Collinson said the Bective result was a “big shock loss to us”. “I think it was a big reality check,” he added.
