Right: Casey-South Melbourne recruit Matthew Wade is unlikely to play many games for the Swans next season after fellow wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite quit the Bushrangers to play for New South Wales.By Marc McGowan
KEY Casey-South Melbourne signing Matthew Wade is unlikely to play more than a handful of games for his new Premier Cricket club next season.
Former Victorian Bushrangers wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite chose to leave the state last week to play for New South Wales.
Crosthwaite’s decision leaves Wade as the only specialist gloveman with a full Bushrangers contract for next summer.
The pair split duties for Victoria last season, with Wade behind the stumps for first-class matches and Crosthwaite playing in one-day and Twenty20 games.
Last season’s Australian under-19 wicketkeeper Ryan Carters has a rookie Bushrangers contract, but is unlikely to push Wade for a first-team spot in 2009/10.
Swans president Mick Taylor admitted Wade will play only ‘three or four’ times for the club next summer.
“I haven’t spoken to Matthew since (the contracts were announced last week), but obviously it means we’re probably going to have him for less games,” he said.
“But we were sort of expecting that anyway. We thought Wadey might have been a chance to get the job for all forms of the game.”
Casey-South Melbourne’s major recruit from last season, fast bowler Damien Wright, made just five appearances for the Swans, as well as one Twenty20 match.
Wright unexpectedly broke into the Victorian team due to injuries and his impressive form enabled him to keep his spot.
Wade and Wright are the club’s two professional players, with aggressive quick Jayde Herrick going back to amateur status.
Ridgway earmarked a lesser state load for Wright at the end of last season that would give the soon-to-be 34-year-old’s body more rest and allow him to compete for Casey-South Melbourne more often.
Taylor also said Swans bowling all-rounder Clive Rose’s non-selection in the Bushrangers’ 2009/10 squad was not a surprise.
“He’s done well in limited overs cricket and obviously he’s had a couple of years of Australian under-19s, but now he’s got to take the next step,” he said.
“Hopefully the last game last year was the start of it (when Rose claimed career-best figures of 4/29).
“The other good thing is we’ll bat him in the top three again, which he probably wouldn’t get the opportunity to do elsewhere.
“I’d be disappointed if he didn’t score 500-plus runs next season.”
Casey-South Melbourne officials are also talking to Bairnsdale top-order batsman Rowan Blandford about playing for the club next season.
Taylor believes he could step straight into the club’s first XI team.
Meanwhile, Premier Cricket club delegates will decide on Monday night whether the Twenty20 format becomes part of the overall standings alongside the one and two-day competitions.
Premier Cricket manager Peter Binns hopes the delegates vote to include Twenty20 as part of the championship rather than keep it as a stand-alone competition.
“First of all, it would incorporate Twenty20 into the competition program and also allows us to have 17 rounds and every club plays every other club,” Binns said.
“That was one of the things clubs were really interested in. They’d like to be able to play every other club in the season and Twenty20s would allow them to do that.
“I’m hoping that gets up, but my gut feeling is they’ll go for the status quo.
“The Twenty20 thing is a little bit radical for them. We shall see; I hope I’m wrong.”
