DVCA 2018-19: Diamond Creek off to flying start under coach Callum Dean

CALLUM Dean’s stint as coach at Diamond Creek started in style with a thumping victory on Saturday.

Diamond Creek celebrates a wicket last summer. Picture: Chris Eastman

CALLUM Dean’s stint as coach at Diamond Creek started in style with a thumping victory on Saturday.

After posting an imposing 9-323 on the opening day of the Diamond Valley Cricket Association Barclay Shield fixture, the Creekers rolled Rosanna for 110.

Dale Campbell (119) and Tom McLean (116) set up the triumph with a magnificent 226-run partnership after their team slipped to 5-95 after winning the toss and opting to bat.

“It was a good start. A record partnership for the club for (the sixth) wicket, so it was really good,” Dean said.

“It was good to see the boys get some reward for their hard work during the pre-season.”

Dean crossed from Mernda, where he has spent his whole career and coached the past two seasons.

The Creekers finished in fourth spot last summer and were knocked out by eventual premier Riverside in the first week of finals.

“From the outside looking in, Diamond Creek has always been an attractive cricket club to want to join and be a part of,” Dean said.

“They’ve got a really good age demographic and lots of kids coming through, so it’s an attractive place for anyone who enjoys their cricket as much as those boys do.

“It’s been really good to lead them for the last couple of months and hopefully it continues going forward.”

Ryan Tolley has returned, while Mark Keenan and Adam Brown have also joined the club and are expected to gain First XI opportunities.

“We’ve added some depth to our squad, so we’re hoping overall from a club point of view that we can continue to be competitive,” Dean said.

“We’ll back ourselves each week and hopefully we’re on the better side of the ledger at the end. They’re a great group to work with. Always keen to learn and do the extras, which is all you can ask for really as a coach.

“Hopefully that hard work transfers into results.”