Everyone wanting your players is one of the costs of success, as Plenty Valley is discovering.
Fresh from winning the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association north-west premiership, the club has managed to keep most of its list together.
President Darren Callahan said it had been a challenge.
“A lot of players were approached – that’s what happens when you are successful,” he said.
Callahan said Kamalesh Murugsan had, as expected, returned to Sri Lanka while Ben Dennett is likely to retire but may still play some cricket for the club.
Lorenzo Ingram has joined Victorian Turf Cricket Association club Doutta Stars.
Ingram wanted to return to the Bats but couldn’t commit to the whole season with the club. The club doesn’t engage with overseas players unless they can play all season
Callahan said the club had players ready to step straight into the first XI from the seconds, who also won a premiership in 2014-15.
“A lot of guys pushing up are ready for the first XI,” he said.
“We always look to have about 18 guys who can play in the firsts.
“When you take out injuries and players unavailable, there’s normally four or five are playing in the twos each week putting pressure on.”
The club is looking at adding more players to the squad.
Englishman Will Wright, a highly rated 18-year-old top-order batsman, has signed.
Callahan said the change of captaincy had gone smoothly, with Michael Sheedy standing down but remaining as coach and Brad Mitchell becoming skipper..
“Brad is a good leader and we still have Sheeds around,” Callahan said. “It’s a good progression. We are always planning for the future and Michael has a real focus on coaching”.
On the women’s side of things, the club is looking at a different coaching set up for its Premier Cricket side, with Andrew Walton no longer at the club.
“We’re going for a different structure, having four or five people involved with the coaching, spreading the workload – we think it will work better,” Callahan said. “We can have someone with the first XI and a few people working with the juniors.”
The club is set to have a female English import and is looking to add a little more experience to the women’s side.
“If we can recruit a couple of experienced girls to help out Kirsty [Lamb] and the others it would be good,” Callahan added.
