VTCA 2020-21: Keilor assembles top coaching team for Senior Division season
Victorian Turf Cricket Association outfit Keilor believes it boasts the best coaching set up “outside district cricket” for 2020-21 but the Blues are set to be without several key players.
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Keilor has assembled a crack coaching team as it prepares to roll out a new-look line-up in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association this summer.
The Blues finished on the bottom of the Senior Division ladder with two wins last season but avoided relegation by virtue of a competition restructure.
They will contest an expanded 10-team top grade in 2020-21, with the experienced Duncan Harrison taking over as coach.
Gun Footscray paceman Lucas Dredge, Wayne Wunhym, James McConnell and Ricky Waters have taken up assistant coaching roles, while dual premiership captain-coach Michael Andreadis has been appointed chairman of selectors.
Keilor senior cricket operations manager Guy Barbuto said the club was “absolutely stoked” to secure Harrison.
The full-time Cricket Victoria employee led Melton to four First XI premierships during its golden era in the VSDCA and was an assistant with Footscray in Premier Cricket.
He has also been heavily involved in women’s cricket and is the head coach of CV’s high performance academy, while he also works as an assistant with WBBL club Melbourne Renegades and Victoria.
“We got our man is probably the way to put it,” Barbuto said.
“The club’s been busting for a coach of this ilk – level 3 accreditation, the levels he’s coached at, full-time employee at Cricket Victoria. These blokes have never seen anything like it.
“Some of the things he’s already implemented, when a lot of the guys haven’t seen him face-to-face yet, have been unbelievable.
“The coaching set up he’s brought along is what we believe is the best outside district cricket.”
But the Blues could be without captain and former Sri Lanka player Kaushal Lokuarachchi this season.
Lokuarachchi, who is one of the VTCA’s leading players, hammered 536 runs at 44.7 last season to go with 21 wickets at 23.4.
He has attempted to cross to rival Senior Division club Sunshine United but the clearance has been denied by Keilor and is subject to an appeal.
“We’re going through the process at the moment,” Barbuto said. “We’ll know more shortly.”
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Blues are also set to lose overseas players Danish Daminda (195 runs and 27 wickets last season), Callum Guest (293 runs and 13 wickets), Nasir Malik (292 runs and 14 wickets) and Nilanka Premaratne.
Shafraz Mohamed has moved to Footscray United to take over as coach.
In their absence, Keilor will look to its exciting batch of youngsters, including pacemen Ryan Metz and Luke McManus, spinners Matthew Gaskett and Matthew Strachan and batsman Mitch Jamieson, who made a half-century against Yarraville Club last season.
On the plus side, the Blues have gained Adam Dudderidge, who amassed 659 runs with a best score of 221 not out for GDCA outfit Sunbury United in 2019-20.
“We’re going to have a heavy reliance on our newly-appointed coaching structure to finally develop our up-and-coming kids,” Barbuto said.
“But we’re still optimistic about where we can finish.”
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