Friday 12 March 2010

Brilliant youngster Chris Lynn has a maturity to match his burgeoning cricket talent.

To be made captain of the limited overs teams at Toombul at the age of 19 suggests Lynn is special talent and he backed that with his form on and off the ground at the Gabba yesterday.

Lynn crafted a magnificent unbeaten century against WA in a game where none of his teammates have passed 30.

He joined Andrew Symonds, Martin Love and Jimmy Maher – who all went on to play Test or one-day cricket for Australia – as teenager century-makers with the XXXX GOLD Bulls.

Just as importantly, he remained modest about his achievement and was taking nothing for granted, despite the fact he bankrolled a place in the team to travel to Melbourne next week for the Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield final.

"Ryan Harris sent me a message the other day saying, 'blokes wait 15 years to play a final'," Lynn said last night.

"Hopefully, if I'm selected, I'll be playing one in my third game - it'll obviously be a pretty big moment and I'll be nervous, that's for sure."

"At the start of the year my goal was to play Twenty20 cricket, and I've now played one-dayers and Shield cricket - so I've exceeded my expectations for this year, but you can only go forward."

"I'm just happy that I'm starting to earn my spot now and I feel a lot more comfortable around the boys."

The leading runscorer in Grade cricket admitted the seaming, bouncy Gabba wicket had been a huge challenge to conquer.

"It has been hard getting used to the bounce compared to the Grade wickets I've been playing on - it's so different," he said.

"The bowlers are also a lot better, they hit the deck more often and there are less error balls - you really got to be patient and it's not easy mentally."

Lynn his 19 boundaries in his 116 not out and brought up his hundred with a stunning straight driven six off Warriors captain Marcus North.

His first 50 came at almost a run a ball and included 12 fours, playing the good deliveries on their merits but punishing the odd loose ball when it was delivered.