CRICKET
CLV
By LIAM DURKIN
I WAS walkin’ down the street, concentratin’ on truckin’ right…
The countdown is on for the start of another Cricket Latrobe Valley season, which (hopefully) commences this Saturday.
While it will be pads, spikes and staple afternoon tea items packed most weeks, for the month of October at least, it will likely be vests, jumpers and maybe even beanies.
As usual for this time of year, it will be fingers and toes crossed Victoria’s weather holds off to allow as much cricket as possible, with players, officials, and curators especially keeping a close eye on forecasts.
With Cricket Latrobe Valley getting up and running last season, the league now has what is generally considered the ideal fixture of eight teams in both A Grade divisions.
By nature of bringing the Traralgon District Cricket Association into the fold last year, and losing Yarram District (to Sale-Maffra), Trafalgar (to Warragul District) and Jeerlang-Boolarra (dropping out of A Grade) in the process, the new league was left in a situation where nine clubs comprised the top flight (Premier A), and seven in A Grade.
As such, two teams were relegated in the inaugural season from Premier A, while the A Grade premier was promoted.
The result has created two eight team divisions, which will allow an even 14 round fixture free of byes.
Each team will play seven two dayers and seven one dayers. A highlight will be the day/night match between Ex Students and Moe under lights at Terry Hunter Oval on January 18.
The league will also experiment playing two dayers in Premier B this season, opting for a soft rollout of three games to test the waters.
Here’s how the A Grade teams are shaping up.
Premier A Grade
Ex Students
Last season: Premiers
Coach: Mitch Harris
Captain: Jimmy Pryde
In: Jordy Gilmore (returning), Michael Stockdale (returning, played in Melbourne)
Out: Nil
THE strong getting stronger.
Ex Students again look as though they will be a formidable opponent.
As if the top order couldn’t get any more potent, the Sharks have added Jordy Gilmore, who is back after some time away. Gilmore will complement the likes of Lee Stockdale, Jackson McMahon and Matt Dyke, while leaders Jimmy Pryde and Mitch Harris are likely to play key roles in all departments. Feedback from opponents was that Harris picked up a yard of pace last season, on his way to winning the league medal, and he now steps into the role of senior coach.
Glengarry
Last season: Runner-up
Captain: Nat Freitag
In: Conor Robson (UK), Alan Newton (returning)
Out: Lachlan Clark (Ballarat)
GLENGARRY will set themselves the goal of going deep in finals again.
The Magpies have shared local cricket supremacy with Ex Students the last few years, and were the two standout clubs in the final days of the TDCA.
Any team with Nat Freitag in the line-up is going to cause the opposition to be wary, although Glengarry also has the Marks brothers, Sam and Frank, along with opening bat Al Jenkin capable of going large.
Jenkin was Man of the Match in the Gippsland Cricket League final last season, and if he and fellow left hander Freitag are able to bat together for long periods of time, it will likely force most right arm bowlers to try and defeat them from both sides of the wicket.
Moe
Last season: Semi Finalists
Coaches: Pat Spiteri and Steve Mesaric
Captain: Noah Kane
In: Keenan Hughes (Toongabbie), Chris Robinson (returning)
Out: Royce Colgrave (Swan Reach), Pat Spiteri (retired)
MOE would be well within their rights to feel hard done by the last two seasons.
Last season, the Lions had one foot in the door to the Grand Final, only for Ex Students to escape with a block-a-thon draw and go through as the highest rank team.
The season before that, Moe had the semi-final won against Morwell, but lost reverse outright.
The Lions will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky, as they set about going at least one step further.
Moe has been able to cover the loss of left arm quick Royce Colgrace with an even quicker left armer in Keenan Hughes.
Hughes could easily bat in the top six, and on paper at least, Moe’s top order looks pretty healthy: Noah Kane, Andrew Philip, Benn Zomer and Josh Keyhoe, to go with the returning Chris Robinson.
Unfortunately for Moe, the Lions will be without opening bat Riley Baldi for an extended period, as the Gippsland League football best and fairest winner is heading to the Northern Territory to play during their wet season.
Raiders
Last season: Semi Finalists
Captain: Liam Maynard
Coaches: Liam Maynard and George Cheshire
In: Ben Rivers, Darryn Stares (both UK), Akila Silva, Pasan Gunathilake
Out: Ben Burrows (Dandenong), Boyd Bailey (NT footy)
RAIDERS have added a few new players to their side for the upcoming season.
Akila Silva and Pasan Gunathilake are both expected to bowl tight overs with their off breaks, while English imports Ben Rivers and Darryn Stares come in as all-rounders.
The team will be without young wicketkeeper-bat Ben Burrows on occasions, as he has decided to try his luck with Victorian Premier side Dandenong.
Morwell
Last season: Fifth
Captain: Blair Clymo
In: Todd Dixon (returning)
Out: Brendan Mason, Ross Whelpdale (both Churchill), Cyrus Shafi (England)
MORWELL will be one of a host of teams looking to break into the top four.
The Tigers missed finals by some distance last season (10 points), and will be hoping to make up the gap with some more consistent performances.
Some changes to the top and middle order are imminent, with the departures of Brendan Mason and Cyrus Shafi, who led the club for runs last season.
Opening bat Blair Clymo has been appointed captain for the first time, and will have former Morwell junior Todd Dixon to throw the ball to.
Dixon has returned home after a more than decade-long stint working in Queensland, and by all reports will be among the sharpest bowlers in the league.
CATS
Last season: Sixth
In: Owen Palmer (UK)
Out: Nil
CATS will take a virtually unchanged squad into season 2024/25.
The team from Traralgon South has signed Owen Palmer from England, who is an 18-year-old bat.
Former Zimbabwean Test player Tinashe Panyangara and English professional Cal Stewart are expected to carry a fair workload.
Stewart, a personal trainer by trade, has been spotted in the nets and cutting laps in his hometown of Trafalgar, and if recent history is anything to go by, will manage himself methodically and start bowling flat out if CATS look any chance of playing finals.
Toongabbie
Last season: Seventh
Coaches: Sam Moran and Adam Hood
Captain: Tim Dunn
In: Gayashan Munasinghe (Bundalaguah), Amal Athulathmudali (Parkmore Pirates), Ishara Jayasinghe.
Out: Keenan Hughes (Moe), Sean Pickles (Port Melbourne)
TOONGABBIE has been relatively proactive in covering its losses.
The Rams said goodbye to Keenan Hughes, but have replaced him with another high-quality all-rounder in Gayashan Munasinghe.
Munasinghe joins from Bundalaguah in the Sale-Maffra Cricket Association, where he opened the bowling and generally batted between six and eight.
While those looking at his PlayHQ stats might point to the fact he only played seconds last season, this was mainly so he could bat further up the order.
Munasinghe might feel more at home in the Latrobe Valley, as he is a former captain of the Italian national cricket team (no word of a lie).
Centrals
Last season: A Grade Premiers (promoted)
Captain/Coach: Tye Hourigan
In: Nuwan Pradeep (Sri Lanka), Jake Littleton (England), Jordan Matthews (Canada)
Out: Reghard Hefer (QLD)
CENTRALS’ drought-breaking premiership came with a few extra bonuses.
Not only did the Lions gain promotion, but they also gained arguably the biggest signing of the offseason in former Sri Lankan Test player Nuwan Pradeep.
Pradeep played 28 Test matches and 49 one dayers for Sri Lanka, and fittingly, will continue his cricket journey as a Lion.
The right arm quick will surely cause havoc at whichever end he is bowling from, and his battles with the likes of Freitag, Stockdale and Philip make for compulsive viewing.
As they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Pradeep’s recruitment has come about through a friendship with fellow Centrals quick Tyron Gamage, and the pair are likely to take the new rock.
Despite the perceived advantage, the Lions can ill-afford to think things will just roll for them.
After all, Pradeep can only get the knicks, they are still going to come through at pace and take some catching.
Round 1 Fixture (Saturday, October 5):
Moe v CATS
Raiders v Toongabbie
Ex Students v Morwell
Glengarry v Centrals
A GRADE
Mirboo North
Last season: Eighth in Premier A Grade (relegated)
Captain: Jed Alexander
In: Ian Allen (UK), Luke Corry (returning), Akila Silva (moved to the area)
Out: Jesse van Rooye (Outtrim Moyarra Kongwak), Dom Davis (retired)
ONE season up, one season down.
After winning the A Grade premiership in the old Latrobe Valley District League two seasons ago, Mirboo North’s ascension to the top flight was relatively short-lived.
The Tigers managed some good wins last season, and were unlucky to find themselves relegated as only one point separated them from survival.
As it is however, Mirboo North has a new season and new challenges ahead in A Grade.
Club favourite Jed Alexander is back fulltime after missing most of last season due to work, while premiership player Luke Corry has come back for a hit.
The side will however need a new wicket-keeper, with Dom Davis hanging up the gloves.
A word of warning based on personal experience – do not write these blokes off no matter how unconvincing their results are between now and the start of February.
Churchill
Last season: Ninth in Premier A Grade (relegated)
In: Brendan Mason (Morwell), Ross Whelpdale (Morwell), Ryan Ayres (previous international returning), Ben Kearns (comeback).
Out: Ross Parker (UK).
FAIR to say they didn’t take getting relegated too well.
After playing in five consecutive grand finals between 2017/18 and 2021/22, the cricket cycle came right around for Churchill, who found themselves in the unfamiliar position of struggling to compete last season.
Such a finish was surely a bruise to the ego, and the Cobras have made no pretentions about their desire to get back into Premier A, publically declaring so.
In order to get back into the top grade however, Churchill must first win the A Grade flag.
The Cobras look to have done everything they can on the recruiting front, enticing former players Brendan Mason, Ross Whelpdale, Ryan Ayres and Ben Kearns back.
Mason, Kearns and Ayres will add to the batting card of John Keighran and Matt Harvey, while Whelpdale, Ryan Harvey and newly inducted life member Steve Warr could all easily finish the season with more than 20 wickets each.
Granted anything can happen in a final, there will be pressure of a different kind for Churchill: when you have a team this good, you should be winning the premiership.
Imperials
Last season: Runner-up
Coach: Brett Chapman
Captain: Ryan Morley
In: Brett Chapman (local returning from QLD), Tom Starkey (previous international returning), Ricky Martin (Rovers), Bailey Nikodemski (Rovers), Khurshid Alam (overseas, moved to the area)
Out: Nil
IMPERIALS are determined to lift this season’s cup, after falling agonisingly short six months ago.
The team from Catterick Crescent will have dusted themselves off after the Grand Final nearly finished in Easter (literally), and if such an event happens again, they will be hoping they have more than chocolate to celebrate next April.
Imperials clearly feel they are in the window of contention, and have managed to get gun local bat Brett Chapman back after a couple of seasons playing in the northern state. Previous international Tom Starkey is also coming back, and should slot in well with Anu Anubhav and captain Ryan Morley now entrenched in the top six. With the ball, Imperials will again rely on Todd Mann’s ageing body to hold up, as he twists and tangles his way out of seemingly various knots at the crease to send down a few rockets.
Mann is closing in on 800 career wickets, and his aggregate could play a crucial role for Imperials this season.
Gormandale
Last season: Semi Finalist
Coach: Nick Scammell
Captain: Matt Hibbs
In: Patrick Brooks (Western Park), Callum Polo (Willow Grove)
Out: Dylan Freitag (retired)
GORMANDALE will be hoping to reproduce its second half of last season for the entire duration of the season to come.
The Tigers came from the clouds at the beginning of the year, winning all five games after Christmas before stumbling in the semi-final.
That two of those wins were against eventual premier Centrals and runner-up Imperials will surely give Gormandale confidence heading into the new campaign.
Admittedly the return of gun leg-spinning all-rounder Nat Campbell coincided with a rise in the Tigers form, although it would be unfair to say Gormandale relies entirely on one player.
With Matt Hibbs back in the captain’s chair, and Yohan Soyza providing an option with bat and ball, the Tigers have the basis of a side that will take some beating.
Rovers
Last season: Semi Finalists
Coaches: Ewan Williams and Lachlan Patterson
Captain: Ewan Williams
In: Nathan Findlay (Nyora)
Out: Oliver Hannam (UK), Jack Lynch (Richmond City)
HOW often in sport do you hear the phrase “above the shoulders”?
Such sentiments are perhaps most applicable to Rovers.
Last season, the team from Duncan Cameron routinely put up scores over 200 in both formats.
Yet, they were bowled out for 90 chasing 91 in the second-last week before finals, and were then knocked over for 51 batting first in the semi.
Rovers will hope to eradicate any mental demons that might exist, and work on their finishing touch under co-coaches Ewan Williams and Lachlan Patterson, who enjoyed a breakout season last time around with the ball.
Traralgon West
Last season: Fifth
Coach: Tim Fitch
Captain: Rob Wilkie
In: Freddie Bowser (UK)
Out: Ben Edebohls (Willow Grove), Salman Rasool (Latrobe)
JUST who is going to bowl for Traralgon West?
The Eagles have lost both opening bowlers from last season, while playing-coach Tim Fitch has been playing through noticeable pain the last couple of seasons.
A greater emphasis therefore could be on fielding and batting, as Traralgon West will likely need to maximise whatever strengths they have.
Traralgon West knows how to scrap though, and expect leg spinner Adam Thow to be prepared to bowl bulk overs when the chips are down.
Willow Grove
Last season: Sixth
Coach: Ben Edebohls
Captain: Josh Hammond
In: Ben Edebohls (Traralgon West), Brad Emerson, Dougie Walsh (the man, myth, legend)
Out: Callum Polo (Gormandale), David Bremner (Rawson)
WILLOW Grove will again be out to take steps in the right direction.
The Wolves were still in the hunt for finals right up until the last round in season 2023/24, and could be a sneaky chance of breaking through this time around.
Ben Edebohls has signed as coach from Traralgon West, and will work in closely with new skipper Josh Hammond.
Big hitting Englishman Luke Payton is coming back, and there might not be many boundaries big enough to contain him.
This will be the Wolves’ third season in A Grade, continuing a great story for the small town club that has built itself into a thriving cricket community.
Latrobe
Last season: Seventh
Captain/Coach: Steven Freshwater
In: Sam Wilson (UK)
Out: Nil
BLOOMY ain’t going anywhere.
Latrobe will still have its linchpin this season, and as long as the name Anthony Bloomfield is on a Sharks teamsheet, opponents can expect honest competition.
The Latrobe legend will help fellow club stalwart Steven Freshwater in guiding the next crop of players.
As a traditional powerhouse, the Sharks are now well and truly into a rebuild, and have no choice but to get games into kids such as Liam Duncan and Jacob Bloomfield.
Helping sure things up will be Northern Irish recruit Sam Wilson, who was Division 1 league player of the year back home a couple of seasons ago (if that means anything).
A quick geography lesson – the United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The island of Ireland comprises the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign country, and Northern Ireland – part of the UK.
Round 1 Fixture (Saturday, October 5):
Willow Grove v Churchill
Rovers v Mirboo North
Traralgon West v Imperials
Gormandale v Latrobe
