SET to play his 100th first grade cricket game with the Rockingham-Mandurah Mariners this month, Brayden Sutton is the man entrusted to lead the team into the future.
Sutton was handed the captaincy ahead of the 2014-15 season taking over from former New Zealand international Brendon Diamanti.
The wicketkeeper/batsman played his junior cricket with the Pinjarra Cricket Club before moving to Midland-Guildford to play senior cricket in 2002.
Sutton moved to the Mariners for the 2007-08 and has not missed a game due to form of injury since the 2008-09 season.
In his time at the Mariners Sutton has notched-up 14 half centuries and two centuries at an average of 25.45.
Sutton said he was honoured to be named captain.
“I’m pretty happy, it’s the biggest honour in cricket,” he said.
“I captained a few games last year when Diamanti was away and enjoyed it.”
After a slow start with the bat in his first two games as captain, Sutton has hit his straps scoring 55 in the first Twenty20 game of the season which he backed up with a 48 against University in first grade last weekend. “Batting wise I probably don’t take as many risks [now I’m captain],” Sutton said.
“In the back of your mind your’re always thinking about the game.”
The captain appointment caps off a big sporting year for Sutton who was also a part of Pinjarra’s premiership winning side in the Peel Football League.
The all-round sportsman was also part of Pinjarra’s 2013 premiership winning side after returning to the club following a season with Peel Thunder.
Sutton said if he were to choose a favourite out of the two sports it would be cricket.
“If my footy coach were to ask me my favourite I’d say footy but honestly it’s cricket,” he said.
“[Cricket’s] both an individual and a team sport; you can reflect of your individual performance a lot more.”
“In the change room there’s a lot more camaraderie, in footy you probably don’t know the 22nd player all that well, in crickets there’s only 11 so everyones a lot closer.
“You also don’t have to run as much.”
Sutton was realistic in his expectations for the Mariners this season.
“This season’s main goal is improvement,” he said.
“We’ve lost a few players and are missing the middle age group of players; we have a group over 28 and a group under 22.
“We want to develop the younger guys and in two to three years time will really be challenging [for success].”
Sutton said the season had started promisingly with the side knocking off last year’s winner Wanneroo.
“Hopefully we can win at least half and make it into the finals,” he said.
