ECA Cricket: Canterbury boasts Steve Duckworth and plenty of young guns
While star bowlers Steve Duckworth and Chris Moore made all the headlines last summer, Eastern Cricket Association Dunstan Shield club Canterbury has plenty of other reasons to be bullish about the future.
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Canterbury’s lethal new-ball pairing of Steve Duckworth and Chris Moore created the headlines last season.
The former Fitzroy Doncaster bowlers combined for a remarkable 98 wickets as the Berries advanced to the Eastern Cricket Association Dunstan Shield decider before falling short to North Balwyn.
But while their opening combination terrorised rival batsmen last summer, president Paul Townsend is also bullish about Canterbury’s future.
“Last year was meant to be a year of transition,” Townsend said.
“We knew we had this good batch of young guys, but they were straight out of under-16s. Those guys did really well last year, so they’re going to be 17, 18 years of age now rather than 15 or 16.
“The good thing for us is our young players have had another year under their belt, they’re bigger and stronger, more experienced and that’s really the future of the club.
“We’ve got a really good batch of young players coming through, so that’s really where our focus is.”
Will Mayhood, Michael Forwood, Will Townsend and Oliver Will – who all played in the First XI last season – are the standout prospects.
Top-order batsman Lachlan Streat, who is aged just 21, was also the third most prolific batsman in Dunstan Shield last season.
Streat hit 465 runs at 35.77, highlighted by an unbeaten century against Heathmont, to earn selection in the Team of the Season alongside Duckworth and Moore.
“Our policy of really developing our young guys from a young age and giving them senior experience from the under-14s for some, it works two ways,” Townsend said.
“One, it gives them experience and, two, it works on the retention.
“That’s the issue – you’ve got kids going off to school cricket. How do you get them back? That’s what we do, giving them a taste early means they really get to enjoy the club and the players around such as ‘Ducky’ and Moore.”
Canterbury has also secured some handy additions, led by the return of all-rounder Sam Starkins from a stint with Premier Cricket outfit Northcote.
He was limited to just six games last season but returned 386 runs and nine wickets for Northcote’s Second XI in 2018-19.
Premiership player Jesse Greenwood is back after spending recent seasons playing for University of Tasmania, while Hugo Boreham (Richmond Union) has also arrived.
Townsend said Duckworth and Moore had made a significant impact on and off the field as the star bowlers prepare for a season of one-day fixtures.
“Not only are they good with the tricks they’ve got, but they’re really unbelievably experienced cricketers and good fellas,” he said.
“They bring more than just their bowling attributes – they bring terrific knowledge. The young blokes just feed off that.
“Will Mayhood, who bowled really, really well in the final (to take 2-35 from 14 overs), has been lapping up anything that ‘Ducky’ has got to say. He just really relishes that.”
Andrew Mills has been reappointed skipper, while Jono Wilson has stayed on as coach.
The Berries are scheduled to start their campaign with a blockbuster home clash against Mont Albert on Saturday.
Townsend said the club was “pretty optimistic” ahead of the new season.
“We’ve got a great blend of experience and youth,” he said.
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