Conrad's 'most special' season: Mateship matters most, success is secondary

And he doesn't disagree. But his criteria for what constitutes a great year differs slightly from most cricketers - he doesn't take his figures into account.

Instead, what has made the 2023/24 Tamworth first grade cricket season "my most special", Conrad said, was his teammates.

"It's the one that I've enjoyed the most, and it has nothing to do with the wickets that I've taken," he said.

"It has a lot to do with the boys that I'm playing with, honestly. My performance really isn't dictated by how much I'm enjoying it, and that's unique because typically my emotional response is tied up with 'Have I done well?'

"That's part of recreational sport and the thing I've missed most is the mateship and banter."

By any measure, George has been superb with ball in hand this season.

He has taken 20 wickets at 13.7 from 10 matches for the side, to whose ranks he returned after a two-year absence while studying at university.

The only bowler with more success in first grade this year is George Wilson, Souths' English import, with 24 to his name. But George feels no sense of competitiveness with his teammates.

In fact, he takes more pleasure from their success than he does from his own.

"Trent Weir is a terrific personality and is very knowledgable, and to see him hit bombs [in the T20 final against Bective East] ... was amazing," George said.

"And our other overseas gentleman [Josh Richards] scoring a hundred earlier in the season, they were terrific performances ... It's definitely what's brought me the most joy is watching other people succeed."

Even after his five-wicket haul against City United in round 13, George was "quite frankly, pretty pissed off".

Despite having the best figures of any of the South Tamworth bowlers in the game, the legspinner was disappointed not to have done more to prevent his side falling to an innings defeat.

"We'd just been outrighted, and in looking at it, I really hadn't done the job for the team," George said.

So when Souths arrive at Riverside 1 this Saturday for the second day of their game against North Tamworth, which is very much in the balance after 15 wickets fell on day one, George will be determined to make a positive impact.

It helps, he said, to play under the likes of Chris Skilton. The allrounder is one of the most experienced players in Tamworth cricket and a "great" captain.

"And honest, I think, is another critical component," George said.

"He tells me what he thinks. If he thinks I should throw it up more, if he thinks I should change the field, he lets me know.

"And when I'm not doing the job, he takes me off. It's really good back-and-forth, and I really do trust him."