Tara Murray
The competition is on for spots as Rivergum gets ready to kick off the North Metro Cricket Association Jika Shield.
The Kookas are set to kick off their season on Saturday with the side hoping to be among the mix again.
Kookas captain-coach Matthew Perri said heading into the first round, he wasn’t sure whether they would get on with many competitions cancelling the first weekend of play due to grounds not being ready.
Perri said they were looking pretty strong again and were hoping to go one step further, having lost the last two grand finals.
“We are looking pretty strong,” he said. “ We have picked up a couple of players to freshen up the list.
“Everyone is going around again, so we will have a lot of depth in the firsts, seconds and thirds.
“It’s a good headache to have.”
The Burras have added three players to their squad for this season.
Nathan Fowler comes across from Whittlesea in the Diamond Valley Cricket Association, where he had piled on the runs in recent years.
Perri plays football with Fowler at Wallan and has finally been able to convince him to come across.
Greg Camilleri comes across from Heidelberg West and will be able to bat up the order and add to the Kookas wicketkeeping depth.
The third edition is premiership play Sean Neary who is returning to the club, with Perri saying he was like a new recruit.
Another bonus for the Kookas is the return to two-day cricket.
“It is our format,” Perri said. “We have to play some one-day cricket, but all the finals are two-day cricket which is what we are better at.”
Coming off 11 straight grand finals, success and making it to the pointy end of the season is the norm for the Kookas.
Perri said nothing changes this year.
“The last two years [having lost the grand final] haven’t sat well with us,” he said. “You can see in the pre-season that they are determined to get the shield back.
“That is what we want.”
The Kookas second and third XIs will both play in different divisions.
The second XI will play in the Jack Kelly Shield, which has several first XI sides. The third XI will play in the Les Horne Shield with all other sides’ second XIs.
Perri said it would be good for both sides to step up and play at that higher level.
“We have high hopes for all three sides,” he said. “All three sides played finals last year and we’re hoping all three can play finals this year.”
