Clarke left his traditional spot at number five and pushed himself up to open the innings for Western Suburbs - but it wasn't the pace that him flustered.
He narrowly avoided being stumped after the Mosman keeper fumbled a take from their left-arm orthodox bowler in the first ball after drinks.
Clarke's hand-picked protege Sandeep Lamichhane had an impressive debut in first grade, taking a respectable 1-17.
Clarke brought the 16-year-old over to Australia after spotting his talent in Hong Kong's T20 tournament earlier in the year.
The plucky young wrist-spinner has a lot to offer according to Clarke, sporting a handy wrong-un and a deep knowledge for the game well beyond his years.
Lamichhane could be set to fill the huge leg-spinner void in Australia's international unit if he continues to impress.
"I think that mind, he's got cricketing experience that he's unaware of at the moment," Clarke said.
"I think that's going to be his greatest strength. To be able to bowl out of the back of the hand is one thing, but to know what you're doing is another."
"I think today was a little glimpse of what's to come. I don't want to put any pressure on him.
"He loves the game as much as anyone I've seen and that's what I think is important.
Lamichhane has already revealed his dream to play in the Big Bash, and as a self-confessed cricket tragic, he may not be too far off his goal.
"You can see it's like oxygen to me, because without cricket I can't live," he said.
