ACT export outshines Australian stars with stellar Comets knock

On a day when two Australian stars were making their ACT/NSW Comets debuts it was a local product who stole the show with a stunning knock in the capital.

Former ACT under-17 and Queanbeyan star Henry Hunt scored a career-best 208 on day one of the Comets clash against Western Australia in the Futures League on Monday.

Comets opener Henry Hunt was unstoppable on Monday.

Comets opener Henry Hunt was unstoppable on Monday. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

Australian opening bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood continued their returns from back injuries with Comets debuts, but it was Hunt who dominated proceedings at Chisholm Oval.

The 21-year-old opener was unstoppable against the Western Australian bowling attack, belting 23 fours and sending two over the rope to leave the Comets with a commanding 8-383 at stumps.

Cummins (31) and Hunt put on a 57 runs for the fifth wicket, while Canberra export Matt Gilkes (43) played his role in a 109-run opening stand.

Hunt was finally dismissed deep into the final session by Alex Bevilaqua (1-65) who trapped him LBW to claim his only wicket of the day.

"He missed out on our opener last week with a few of the contracted boys coming in and that would have burnt him a bit because he was one of our best last season," Comets coach Kyle Piper said.

"So to come back and respond with a chanceless double century is really impressive. He just has an insatiable taste for runs, a lot of young blokes get to 100 and lose focus but not Henry.

"It was an absolute pleasure to watch, his previous best score for us was 82 so to move the marker that significantly is really something.

"But Henry knows just as well as everyone we have a lot of work to do over the next three days to make sure we win this one."

It proved a tough day in the field for Western Australia who allowed 50 boundaries in 96 overs as seven players rolled their arm over with little luck.

Only Liam O'Connor (0-40) and Clinton Hinchliffe (1-40) were able to keep their run-rate under three and half per over.

Aaron Hardie (2-47) was the only bowler to take multiple wickets, while Sam Whiteman and Nick Hobson took a pair of catches each.

Cummins and Hazlewood will share the new ball on Tuesday in what shapes as their test run heading back into the international arena.

Hazlewood and Cummins are expected to slot straight back into the Australian team when they host South Africa in a one-day series beginning on November 4.

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