Premier Cricket 2023: Geelong coach Nick Speak lauds young Cats behind hot start to the season

There were moderate expectations placed on Geelong, but the Cats have started the Premier Cricket season with a bang. And a host of young Cats are behind their rise.

Geelong players celebrate a wicket. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Geelong Cricket Club coach Nick Speak has credited his side’s young guns for their hot start to the Premier season with the Cats in the box seat to claim their second win in as many matches.

Geelong bowled out Frankston Peninsula for 179 in 74 overs on a blustery day in Frankston with opening batters Hayden Butterworth and Eamonn Vines getting the visitors off to the perfect start against an attack led by former Australian Test player and Victorian stalwart Jon Holland.

The pair has Geelong 0-50 needing just 129 to win next weekend with debutant Lachlan Neate (2-22), his brother Thomas (2-19) and Callum Stow (2-45) all shining brightly with the ball

The emerging Cats trio are all 21 or under and conceded less than 2.5 runs per over against Frankston Peninsula, standing up after the departures of Big Bash League players Brody Couch and Tom O’Connell, and the retiring Dom McGlinchey.

Vice-captain and opening bowler Josh Garner is also 20 years of age but comes with a wealth of experience having played Premier Cricket for the past four seasons, while Josh Larkin, 24, took over the captaincy reins from Josh McDonald.

Thomas Neate took two wickets. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Then there’s talented Victorian batter Oliver Peake, who is just 17, and is coming off 81 runs in the opening round and two catches and a run out on Saturday.

Speak conceded his side’s expectations were realistic with their transitioning side but now they are in a strong position to improve on their disappointing 15th placed finish last year, where they managed just four wins.

He said he was impressed by how his young side have handled the rigours of Premier Cricket.

“It’s exciting to watch, our expectations were reasonably conservative this year but if we can get a win next week and then we have a couple of games in Greenvale and Kingston Hawthorn that really we should match up well in,” Speak said.

“There’s just opportunity really and they’ve played seconds cricket consistently for a couple of years and they are ready. I was really impressed with the way they went about it (on Saturday).

“Lachie Neate playing his first game picked up two, his brother did a really good job at the top of the order.

“I mean our bowlers – Garner, Stow, Neate and Neate they are 19, 20, 20 and 21. It’s a very young attack and they did a really good job.”

Originally published as Premier Cricket 2023: Geelong coach Nick Speak lauds young Cats behind hot start to the season