Nick Jewell

A relatively late bloomer, the opener Nick Jewell has been the only man to play every Pura Cup/Sheffield Shield game for Victoria in the past five seasons. His first century was 143 against New South Wales in the draw at Lismore in 2005-06 and he finished the campaign with 89 in the final loss to Queensland and the most runs for the state. A consistent contributor, Jewell has hovered around the mark of 700 runs a season since then. He has been a useful man in finals - he picked up 99 in the second innings of the final loss to New South Wales in 2007-08 and a second-innings 70 in the 2009-10 decider helped Victoria beat Queensland. He declined a state contract for 2010-11 to concentrate on coaching but he was not retiring as a player and said he would remain available for Victorian selection. A mature, tall and patient batsman, Jewell's limited technique has stopped him forcing his way into Victoria's strong one-day line-up. A former toy salesman, Jewell is one of the most recent men to play first-class cricket and AFL football. He played one game for Richmond in 1997 and he is the son of Tony Jewell, the former Richmond footballer.
Brydon Coverdale September 2010