Developing the next generation of cricketers has been a major focus for Plenty Valley Cricket Club during the offseason.
Having won both first and second grade Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association premierships last season, the Bats have started building for the future.
Bats coach Michael Sheedy said the club was working on bringing in new young talent.
“It has been a pretty good offseason,” Sheedy said last week.
“Junior development is a key area we’ve been working on.
“We’re going to try and get as many kids into subbies sides this season. It will pay dividends.”
Sheedy said the push for more junior players was important for the club.
“With a push to be in Premier Cricket, it’s about getting them into sub-district cricket to see if they’re good enough to start taking that next step.
“Getting them in as early as possible is a big thing for me,” Sheedy said.
“We believe the best way forward is to develop the young talent.”
Graeme Hall and Jesse King are two younger players to step up in the preseason.
“The younger guys will shape the seconds and thirds sides this season.
“We’ve been playing Premier Cricket clubs in practice matches to give the kids exposure against them and they’ve been blown away by the professionalism.”
On the senior front, the club has lost seven players from across its first and second premiership sides.
“That is a high turnover, and we didn’t expect a couple of the movements,” he said.
From the top side, Josh Durrant and Ben Dennett have retired, while Lorenzo Ingram and Kamalesh Murugsan aren’t returning.
“We have some really good talent coming in to replace them,” Sheedy said. “Marc La Broy comes across from Kingston Hawthorn and Will Wright is coming out from England.
“Rubaiyat Haque is a good young talent. He arrives in the country this week and will play on the weekend.
“Justin Jaensch is a lot fitter, and Michael Croxford has learnt a lot about his cricket.”
Sheedy said one player who isn’t slowing down is veteran all-rounder Sean Ayres.
“He’s still the best in the competition and our most important player.”
Sheedy says the feeling around the club this year is different.
“The monkey is off the back and we can go forward in leaps and bounds. The internal expectations are not as big this season as they were the last couple of years.”
