ECA 2020-21: East Doncaster recruit Peter Dickson key addition
East Doncaster is preparing to be without two key players in the Eastern Cricket Association this summer, but the flag contender has secured two important ins.
East
Don't miss out on the headlines from East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
East Doncaster has waved goodbye two stars but gained the recruit of the Eastern Cricket Association off-season.
The premiership contender will be without Dunstan Shield 2019-20 Team of the Season members Joe Kendall (651 runs) and Michael Lukic (27 wickets).
The coronavirus crisis has prevented Englishman Kendall from returning after he was a runaway winner of the Dunstan Medal last season on the back of a sparkling summer that yielded five half-centuries and an unbeaten 111, while left-arm spinner Lukic has exited after collected 77 wickets in the past three campaigns.
But East Doncaster has secured decorated Premier Cricket gun Peter Dickson and talented bowling all-rounder Shaun Morris as it chases the ultimate prize.
The club has contested finals in the past three seasons, winning the premiership in 2018-19.
With East Doncaster’s rivals also recruiting strongly and a season of one-day fixtures to come, captain Matt Vaiano is acutely aware complacency could prove fatal to his team’s finals quest in a hotly-contested flag race.
“Every game is winnable for everyone,” Vaiano said.
“It’s going to be really even, which I think is fantastic. If you have an even competition, every game matters and no one wants to slip up. It adds to the pressure.
“We’ve been lucky enough that we’ve been pretty successful (in one-day games) over the last few years. You can’t really say it’s an advantage for anyone. Everyone’s picked up a few players here or there.
“We’ve got two or three weeks to train for it and we know that’s the structure.”
Vaiano said the quality of the ECA’s top flight continued to improve.
“It’s a credit to the ECA and the players themselves really strive to be the best. With the big recruits who have come across from district cricket, it’s really positive for the competition,” he said.
“It’s only going to get stronger next year when we can have more internationals as well. The competition’s in a really strong position, it makes it bloody tough, but it’s really enjoyable to play in.”
Dickson links up with East Doncaster after logging his 10,000th career run and snaring his 200th wicket in his final Premier Cricket season with Fitzroy Doncaster.
The champion, who will reunite with Matt Bremner, is set to cause myriad headaches for opposition bowlers and boosts and already formidable batting line-up.
But Vaiano said Dickson’s actions off the ground during the pandemic showed the club has signed a quality individual.
“Obviously it’s been a pretty tough time … but to have someone of that stature just messaging everyone and not even talking about cricket, he’s an absolutely fantastic human. I couldn’t speak more highly of what he’s done for the group,” he said.
“We’ve only seen him once in the nets, but everything we’ve wished for off the field has already happened. We’re excited to see what he can do on the field.
“He’s fitted in really, really well with the rest of the group.”
Morris arrives from Glen Iris and is set to bolster East Doncaster’s pace battery while adding valuable runs in the lower order.
Vaiano said Morris had aspirations to take the field at a higher level.
“He has a nice action, a bit of pace,” he said.
“He’ll come in to our ones to start off with and expecting some good things from him.
“He’s handy with the bat in the lower order as well, an exciting prospect, so hopefully we can build him up over the next two, three or four seasons and really see him flourish, especially with the help of someone like Peter Dickson and Matt Bremner.”
East Doncaster will host Heathmont in the opening round on November 14.
The club qualified for the semi-finals last season, losing by six wickets to eventual premier North Balwyn.
“We set our bar pretty high. We want to be the best and strive to be the best,” Vaiano said.
“We don’t really put a limit on where we want to go – we want to drive the whole club forward, try to win the crucial games and have all teams there at the end of the season.”
MORE CRICKET NEWS FROM LEADER