VSDCA: Taylors Lakes make impressive start to the season

The new Subbies season is just two games old but Taylors Lakes appears to have nailed its recruiting highlighted by a fast bowler who has made a stunning start.

The new Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association might only be two games old but it appears Taylors Lakes off-season recruiting has hit the mark.

Aamir Raza’s side claimed their first win of the season on Saturday after claiming a comfortable victory over Plenty Valley and the Lions’ recruits were at the forefront.

Welsh import Adam Sylvester was at the forefront of the demolition with nine wickets for the match, taking his season tally to 12.

Sylvester’s fellow import Steffan Roberts put together an impressive performance with the bat with 85 runs from 113 deliveries.

While they might only be early signs Raza admitted he’s been impressed with what he has already seen from the pair.

The six players who made their debut in round 1 for Taylors Lakes.

“Adam has raw pace that I haven’t seen with my three years with the club,” he said.

“Real credit to Simon Black who took it up to him in the second innings when Adam finished with all six wickets we took. Adam and Steffan have helped to lift the standards across the entire squad, not just the First XI.

“They’ve both been working closely with their teammates, I’m really enjoying having them on board. It makes your life a lot easier as a coach when they are so committed.”

Other new faces at the Lions have also impressed to start the season.

Melisha Deshapriya has three wickets, Prageeth Edirisinghe has claimed scalps in each game, Buddima Wijesundera has shown the flexibility to bat in different positions while Nilan Fernando already has a half-century.

Adam Sylvester has made a brilliant start to life with Taylors Lakes.

Despite the positive start, including a loss to powerhouse Werribee in the opening round, Raza knows there is more to come from his side.

“We should be two from two,” he said.

“We’ve got a great structure in place at the moment which is making my job easier. We’re getting 40-plus to training every night which helps with the development of the entire squad.

“The weekend was a good win but there’s no point in going on and losing the next seven. Our aim is to keep improving and hopefully we can keep winning games along the way.”

Taylors Lakes will next take on Coburg in a one-day game on Saturday.