Players ready for cricket’s return

CRICKET is back.
Starting a week later this season to give a greater break between football and cricket, Leongatha and District Cricket Association secretary Gary Adams said all local grounds are in good nick going into round one.
“From all accounts, the grounds will be fit to play on this Saturday. There are some seasons where a few grounds are unavailable, but this season we will not have to wait three or four weeks to play on turf,” he said.
Nerrena is looking forward to taking on a new challenge this year, having gone up to A1 following its A2 premiership victory in 2017/18.
Town was relegated back to A2.
Joining B1 will be Korumburra whilst Kilcunda-Bass goes down to B2.
There will be no change in C Grade this season.
Although Phillip Island won the grand final, it is the third team for the club and there will be no promotion.
There are 46 teams competing in the Seniors; similar numbers to last season.
For some clubs, interest in cricket has piqued.
This year, four clubs will field four Seniors sides.
Phillip Island, Wonthaggi Workers and OMK each had four sides last season, and Koonwarra/LRSL added a new team for this season.
Mr Adams said a number of teams had recruited players from overseas this year.
“Most clubs have taken the opportunity and people do take the option to come over on a sport holiday,” he said.
This season, clubs have recruited from Sri Lanka, England and South Africa.
However, some clubs have struggled to fill sides.
The Wonthaggi Miners, Poowong Loch and the Imperials are only fielding two senior teams.
“Clubs like the Miners only had two sides last season but there is a movement in place to try to improve the juniors so the club is set up down the track,” Mr Adams said.
“Some clubs have had several players leave the club which has left them tight for numbers.
A new initiative of the association is more T20 matches.
All grades will have more opportunities to play in T20 matches on either side of Christmas.
On the association committee, Mr Adams is serving another year as association secretary.
Russell Matthews will return in the role of association president for the 12th year.
Mr Matthews was well recognised for his commitments last year, having received a life membership for the association and a Bass Coast Community Sport and Recreation Award on Australia Day.
Gary Sauvarin will again serve as treasurer while John Schelling has departed from the committee due to his ongoing commitments with football.
Ken Scrimshaw has taken on the role.
On top of the association competition, players from the Seniors, U18s and U16s will again represent in the Gippsland Cricket League.
Junior country week will also take place for U15s and U14s in the new year.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Oct 9 2018. Filed under Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry