ANOTHER blistering summer of Dandenong District Cricket Association action kicks off this weekend and News reporters Marc McGowan and Stuart Teather gave local coaches the final word before they dust off the whites and return to the field.
TURF ONE
Berwick
Last season: First (Turf One premier)
Ins: Will Carr (St Kilda), Brad Francis (Dandenong), Simon Cornell
Outs: James Wilcock (Dandenong)
BERWICK will enter the season as the hottest of favourites after adding former players Will Carr and Simon Cornell – as well as prolific batsman Brad Francis – to an already formidable line-up.
The reigning premier also regained English all-rounder Alex Roberts’ services after he temporarily switched to Buckley Ridges in the off-season.
Former Victorian Bushranger Carr will return as captain-coach – the same role he held two seasons ago – after a one-season stint at his old club St Kilda.
But Carr hosed down the pre-season hype surrounding his star-studded line-up.
“I’m sure other clubs have gone out and recruited well, too,” he said.
“We respect every opponent and, from what I gather, it sounds like it’s going to be a pretty even competition and in this game it only takes one guy to have a day out and you can win the game.”
Cranbourne
Last season: Fifth
Ins: Kyle Brooks (Frankston), Tracee De Silva (North Dandenong), Richard Harrop
Outs: None
CRANBOURNE is a team on the up with a number of high-profile recruits joining the club.
Medium-quick Kyle Brooks joins the club from Victorian Premier Cricket side Frankston Peninsula, while Brett Harrop will look to play his first senior game for the club after joining the side last year, but not playing due to injury.
English import Steve Hall returns to the club for another season, and will resume his place behind the stumps.
Captain-coach Ross Woodall said he expected the club to improve on last year’s result.
“For us to take the next step now is to play finals after just missing out on percentage last year,” he said.
“I think Brett is definitely going to strengthen our batting at the top, Kyle is going to be a terrific addition to our fast-bowling stocks, and I think that’s where our main improvement is going to be.”
Doveton
Last season: Seventh
Ins: Matt Hutchinson, Ryan Pearson, Shaun Tongue (all Endeavour Hills)
Outs: Glen Lothian
EXPECTATIONS are high at Doveton after three Endeavour Hills first XI players crossed to the club in the off-season.
Matt Hutchinson takes over the captain-coach duties from Glen Lothian and will be a significant addition to the Doves’ suddenly formidable batting and bowling stocks.
Fellow Hills recruit Ryan Pearson and Wookey Medallist Brad Downe will form one of the DDCA’s best opening partnerships, while Shaun Tongue will further solidify the top order.
Hutchinson is aiming at a top-four position for Doveton this season.
“We should be pushing for finals this year. It’s hard for me to say if the standard is better or worse than the subbies, but I’ll find that out after a couple of rounds,” he said. “We have six home games out of 11, so if we can win all of our home games there’s a finals spot there for us.”
Narre Warren
Last season: Ninth
Ins: Dale Christie, Ryan Christie, Keith Perumal (all Hawthorn-Monash University), Ruwantha Sernandopulle (Sri Lanka)
Outs: Matt Darvell (Dandenong)
ALL the off-season talk has centred around Berwick, but Narre Warren has quietly added four outstanding recruits of its own. The quick bowling Christie siblings – Dale and Ryan – and former captain-coach Wendell Perumal’s brother Keith have all arrived from Victorian Premier Cricket club Hawthorn-Monash University.
Sri Lankan opening batsman Ruwantha Sernandopulle will shore up what has been a brittle batting line-up and will partner Shean Vanderwert at the top of the order.
Shane Simpson takes over the captain-coach reins from Perumal, who will remain as a player, and the former has high hopes for a successful – and more consistent – season. “I’d be disappointed if we didn’t make the top four. We were thereabouts last season, but lost a couple of games we probably should have won,” Simpson said.
“Berwick is a pretty formidable side and they’ll take some beating, but I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to beat them.
“It’s just a matter of how we perform on the day and if we perform at our best and they’re below par we could give them a run for their money.”
Hallam-Kalora Park
Last season: Second (Turf Two premier)
Ins: Nick Hawking (Dandenong)
Outs: Ben Hillard (Dandenong), James Tincknell (England)
HALLAM-KALORA Park’s fast bowling attack will be the key to the club making a smooth transition into Turf One after winning last season’s Turf Two premiership.
Batting will once again be the club’s strength, while leg-spinner Nick Hawking and off-spinner Lee Brown will bowl a stack of overs. But quick Sediq Shiryar could arguably be Hallam-Kalora Park’s most valuable player if he can produce a quality season alongside the Booth brothers, Corey and Leigh.
Captain-coach Corey Booth is confident his team can book a finals place. “We’re looking to be as competitive as possible and we don’t want to end up back in Turf Two,” he said. “We’re good enough to at least get into the top four because we have two very good spinners who will hopefully help our bowling a bit and our batting is obviously a strength.”
TURF TWO
HSD
Last season: First (runner-up)
Ins: Garrick Wiramanaden (Doveton), Asela Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka)
Outs: Michael Davies (Springvale South), Doug Loudon
LAST season’s Turf Two runner-up looks set to feature in the finals again, despite losing two gun players.
All-rounder Michael Davies and former captain Doug Loudon both left the club, leaving a big hole in the strong bowling line-up.
The club has picked up opening batsman Garrick Wiramanaden from Doveton, as well as Sri Lankan import Asela Jayasinghe, who will also open the batting and can bowl first change.
Coach Andrew Stockdale talked down his side’s chances this year.
“On paper the talent’s there, but until you’re out on the field and doing your job you can’t really tell. I reckon we’ll be up there, but not as competitive as last year,” he said.
“We’re going to try and put the young kids in there and give them some experience, and that might hold us back a bit, but in the future it will benefit us.”
Fountain Gate
Last season: Ninth
Ins: Bruce Mullen (St Mary’s), Jarryd Murray (Prahran), James Houpt (Berwick), Fanjeeva Udunalagala (Sri Lanka)
Outs: Cameron Knight
NEW Fountain Gate captain-coach Bruce Mullen is trumpeting his club’s chances after a busy off-season.
Mullen, a triple DDCA Turf One premiership player at North Dandenong and St Mary’s, will join 17-year-old son Robert, the Gators’ reigning batting average champion, in the first XI.
Fountain Gate’s batting and bowling stocks have been topped up and Mullen believes the latter in particular will hold the club in good stead.
“We’re pretty confident we’ll be a lot more competitive than last year,” he said.
“I’m trying to make the club more professional on and off the field because there’s no point going up to Turf One and then going straight back down.
“It’s a good club and hopefully we can build something … we have a phenomenal junior base and most of our blokes are between 19 and 23, so they’re all virtually at their prime.”
Hampton Park
Last season: Tenth
Ins: Jonathon Rudge (England)
Outs: Doug Mulholland (England)
HAMPTON Park had a difficult year in 2007/08, and after a number of moves during the off-season, the club is hoping for a more positive season.
Doug Mulholland, last year’s captain-coach, remains at home in England and will not play this season.
Jonathon Rudge is the new import, and the 19-year-old will open the bowling with his left-arm pace.
Playing coach Daniel Redfern said the club wanted to be competitive throughout the season.
“We’re aiming a bit higher than what we finished last year, we just don’t want to be recognised as an easy-beat side,” he said.
“It hasn’t been easy since we came into Turf Two, it’s a fairly big step up, but we will get there eventually.
“We’re trying to get the players’ enjoyment back into the game. When you’re losing a lot of games here and there it upsets everyone a bit.”
Maranatha Methodist
Last season: Eleventh
Ins: Liam Toole (Dandenong), Shane Goldfinch (Casey-South Melbourne), Brett Brnst (Bentleigh Uniting)
Outs: None
MARANATHA Methodist has made a number of changes at the club in a bid to improve on last season’s disappointing performance.
The club recruited Brett Brnst, who will bat at number three, from Bentleigh to captain-coach the side, replacing Peter Cutting, who is captaining the second XI.
The club also regains two former players, with 18-year-olds Liam Toole and Shane Goldfinch returning from Victorian Premier Cricket sides.
Toole and Goldfinch will open the batting and Toole will open the bowling as well.
Brnst said he was looking to bring discipline and professionalism to the club.
“We’re getting along with the boys pretty well. They’re taking to the disciplinary side quite well,” he said.
“Just with the training structure, if you don’t train you don’t play … I’m getting in a proper training structure, and getting some professionalism into training.
“We’ve got a lot of young kids at the club that need direction and guidance. There were a lot of senior blokes that were a bit lackadaisical about their habits towards cricket, and it was rubbing off a bit on the young kids.”
