Player Profile: Aden Batt (Paarl Boys’ High)
A hard-hitting batsman in the middle-order, a left-arm off-spinner with a knack for claiming momentum-halting wickets, a reliable fielder anywhere on the park, and a bold and confident leader who sets the standard for his teammates.
These are not the four different archetypes of players that all cricket teams require. Rather, this is a description of Paarl Boys’ High captain Aden Batt.
Those qualities and his match-winning abilities were on show during the recent Western Cape Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two Regional Final.
Leading from the front, he played a key role in Boishaai securing a place at the Final Showdown in March, where the national champion will be crowned. Indeed, it was Batt who put the final nail in Paarl Gimnasium‘s coffin in the final, where he spun the ball with vigour to end Gimmies‘ innings in his fourth over.
Boys’ High Head Coach and former Protea, Johann Louw, said that the all-rounder’s bowling stuck out from the first moment that he saw him.
“I first saw Aden play for the u14A team when he joined Paarl Boys’ High. My first impression was that he was incredibly accurate for a young spinner. Even many of the more senior spinners couldn’t place the ball in the right spot as consistently as him.”
One of the keys to Aden Batt’s success has been his attention to detail. When asked about the area of his game that he would most like to improve, Batt told SuperSport Schools Plus that he is trying to use his strengths as a fielder to elevate his prowess as a bowler.
“I’m busy working on improving my fielding off my own bowling. It will help me to put even more pressure on the batsmen by not giving away any easy runs,” he explained.
Batt’s mentality is, perhaps, his greatest strength. Coach Louw complimented the Boishaai skipper on his maturity and wisdom in his dual roles of player and leader.
“He is a calm and collected individual who offers great knowledge to the younger bowlers. His leadership on and off the field has also been noticed by the school, earning him a role as a prefect.
“As a cricket coach, any player who can control the game is of great value, and Aden has proven this with his more than 50 wickets [per season] over three seasons in the first team.
“He has improved his ability to read batsmen, allowing him to set them up. He has been very successful in attracting the false shot when it matters,” Louw added.
“He also has the ability to win the big moments. In addition to off-spin, he has developed the ability to bowl left-arm leg-breaks at a decent standard, even taking a few wickets with the style.”
Clearly, one of Aden Batt’s best assets is his mentality – his focus, work ethic, and drive to succeed.
Those qualities were honed from a young age. “My earliest memory involves playing backyard cricket with my older brother. As the younger brother, I mostly lost, which ignited my passion, will and hunger for winning,” he revealed.
While Batt noted the emotional drive gifted to him by backyard sessions with his older brother, it’s likely that the time spent with his older brother also helped the Boland Khaya Majola Week representative to understand the game better than most players his age.
Does he hold further ambitions in the game once his school days are done? Indubitably.
Sharing his dreams, he said: “I would like to start playing professional cricket within the next few years, and try to get into the Proteas’ setup, as that has been a dream of mine since I was a small kid playing in the garden.”
Aden Batt has the all-round cricket skills to take him far, but, even more importantly, he has the mental strength to withstand and prosper when the greater challenges that lie ahead put him to the test. He revels in the heat of battle, in finding chinks in the opposition’s armour, and in finding ways to exploit them.
It’s that joy in attending to the details that will give Aden Batt a chance to make his cricket dreams come true.
