Pocket Profile - Jai Lemire - Carlton Cricket Club
Carlton Cricket Club | April 17, 2024
Jai Lemire is Carlton Cricket Club first grade wicket keeping batter.
Jai made his first grade debut for the club during the 2020-21 Victoria Premier Cricket season and in 2021-22 he played for Victoria in the Australian Under 19 national Championships.
In 2022-23 Jai made his debut for the Victoria 2nd XI against ACT and in 2023-24 he played 2ndXI games against Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and NSW.
During the 2023-24 Premier cricket season Jai scored two centuries and hit 675 runs at an average of 42.19. He is also a first grade premiership winning player after Carlton defeated Casey South Melbourne in a remarkable grand final.
Here's a brief pocket profile with Jai.
Ascot Vale Hotel is a proud sponsor of Carlton Cricket Club
What year were you born?
2003
Tell us about your cricket journey. Where did you start junior cricket and the clubs you’ve
played for in senior cricket?
My cricketing journey started at Hurstbridge Cricket Club when I was about 8 and I played there for many years mainly in junior competitions but I played one year in the seniors to play with my dad who’d only been my coach up to this point.
I then moved to Plenty Valley CC in the hopes to progress my cricket. I played there for 2 years in all 4 grades, achieving a First XI premiership at 15 years old!
I then moved to Carlton where I’ve been for the past 5 years working my way up through the grades.
If you can share with our readers how you would describe yourself as a cricketer?
I’d describe myself as batter/wicketkeeper.
What do you enjoy most about playing cricket?
The things I love about playing cricket is being able to go out on the field and have a good time with mates. Sure, I enjoy the success on the field but having a close group around you that are also driving for success can be a great environment to be involved in.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket so far?
The most memorable one is definitely this year’s grand final. We chased 251 in 30 overs to beat Casey South Melbourne reverse outright. Probably the greatest game I have ever witnessed and I was just lucky to be a part of it.
Grand Final Match Summary - https://www.cricconnect.com/question/2392/carlton-cricket-club-first-grade-premiers-2023-24-what-a-game-casey-south-melbourne-set-a-total-of-212-in-the-first-innings-and-we-couldnt-chase-it-down-getting-bowled-out-for-171-casey-south
Who’s your favourite all-time cricketer?
Hard to go past the likes of Adam Gilchrist as a keeper/batter but I love the style of Aiden Markram in the modern day.
Who is the fastest bowler you’ve played against?
Fastest bowler probably would be Nathan Lambden, leading wicket taker of the Premier competition in Victoria. Nasty to face.
Who is the best spinner you’ve played against?
Matt Kuhnemann. Just kept getting me out.
Who is the best spinner you’ve kept wicket to?
I’ve had the chance to keep to Glenn Maxwell, that was hard work.
What’s been you’re favourite dismissal as a wicket keeper so far. The dismissal that makes
you smile when you reflect.
A few stumpings off my teammate Michael Archer during this last season. Always enjoy watching them back and reflecting on the highlights.
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Hard to go past a couple of my Carlton captain Evan Gulbis’. I’ve witnessed some outrageous one day innings from him. Also, teammates such as Harry Smyth, Nick Ross and Tom Smyth has displayed some class knocks.
Who is the best wicket keeper you’ve had the good fortune to play with?
When I played at Plenty Valley I had the chance to play with Rory Collins, he was probably one of the better keepers I’ve seen.
Who are the two players you’ve come to admire most in your club in terms of skills and
competitive spirit?
Evan Gulbis, Tom Smyth
Evan Gulbis
What are the two attributes you like to see in a captain and leader?
Desire to win/succeed & resilience.
Which singer/band would you like to see perform live?
Mumford and Sons.
Who’s the king of selfies at your club?
Connor Rutland
Favourite location, city or country as a holiday destination?
France as a whole!
Who’s been the biggest influence on your career so far?
Everyone at Carlton Cricket Club. Junior coaches such as Henry Tyler.
Where do you find inspiration that gets you through challenging times?
Typically, I watch back some videos of games where I play alright or even just games my team has won. Love going back and watching my indoor cricket national championships clips.
Who are the three people in the world you’d love to meet and talk to?
Thierry Henry, Rory Mcilroy and Matt Damon
Matt Damon
What do you like to do to relax outside cricket?
Golf, a lot of golf
What are out are you studying at University?
I’m studying secondary PE, Health and Science teaching.
Do you have a favourite quote?
Go confidently in the directions of your dreams, live the life you’ve imagined.
What are your goals for the 2024/25 season?
To improve from last year. I had a great year and exceeded expectations, but I’d love to use
that as a platform to go again.
Can we ask, what would it mean to you to play first class cricket?
It would mean everything, it’s the dream to play high level cricket and I would love the
chance to go out there and experience it.
