A MOVE from the Peel Cricket Association to the WACA first-grade competition has not stopped the flow of runs for Dane Ugle.
After starting the season well in the Peel Cricket Association, Ugle moved over to Rockingham-Mandurah to try and further his career.
In his six games in the PCA this season Dane Ugle cracked 255 runs at 51 with a top score of 125.
Ugle then played a third-grade at Rockingham-Mandurah, where in his second game he broke the record for the highest score by a Mariner, smacking 243 not out.
He hit 31 fours and three sixes to blitz the previous record of 226 by former Netherlands international Ryan ten Doeschate.
“Bit of luck I think, I got dropped a couple of times,” Ugle said about his double century.
After his record-breaking score Ugle soon moved into the first grade competition where he soon found success, cracking two 70s – including top-scoring against Perth.
He said the reason for the move was to step up his game within the first-grade cricket competition at the PCA considered to be in the middle of second and third grade at the WACA competition.
“I just wanted to try and further my career,” he said.
With his children growing up Ugle said he now had a bit more free time to pursue cricket.
“I always wanted to come up here and now was the best time,” he said.
Ugle comes from a pretty impressive sporting family.
His brother Keren played for the Fremantle Dockers while his dad played WACA first-grade cricket in Perth.
His brother Keren is still hitting runs and sits seventh on the leading-run-scorers table with 312 runs in PCA.
The 26-year-old said he was happy with the way he was seeing the ball and and his mentality was: “see the ball, hit the ball”.
He said he had a good day out when he cracked the double century but was still improving.
“I have hit a bit of form it is all about improving," he said.
Although Ugle does bowl handy left-arm orthodox spin, he said the quality of bowling at the Mariners was the reason why he was concreting more on his batting and fielding.
Ugle took 11 wickets at an average of 9.45 and said he may have to hold up an end or be called on to take some wickets at the Mariners.
He said the difference between the two competitions – PCA and WACA first-grade – was massive.
“Bowling is a whole lot better quality (in WACA first-grade),” he said.
“I faced former state cricketers Burt Cockley and Tim Armstrong – it is a bit of an eye opener.
“I believed in my ability I have to do the hard yards.”
If Ugle can keep scoring runs at Rockingham-Mandurah, he has a chance of going on to potentially receive a Big Bash League contract with the Perth Scorchers.
The Scorchers were crowned champions of BBL04 with the team including Mariners team-mate and future test prospect Sam Whiteman.
Ugle missed out on a regional rookie contract with Western Australia this year as he was not at a district club at the time but said his dream was still to play at the highest level possible.
“I believe I can (make it to state cricket or BBL), hopefully it will all pay off,” he said.
“You have to find the extra hour here and there and leave work a little bit earlier.
“Once it is up at this level it is pretty competitive.”
Ugle has also won two Imparja Cup titles with Western Australian (an indigenous Australian cricket competition) and was named player of the tournament in 2010.