Cricket Southern Bayside: Luke Wintle joins Cheltenham

Chelt president Dave Sell asked the question – and this time he got the answered he wanted from Luke Wintle.

Luke Wintle batting for Noble Park in the VSDCA. Picture: Valeriu Campan

A “Juice’’ boost for Cheltenham.

The Cricket Southern Bayside club will go into its 150th year of cricket with former leading Sub-District batsman Luke “Juice’’ Wintle as a recruit.

Wintle, 43, is friends with Cheltenham president Dave Sell.

“I’ve known ‘Reggie’ (Sell) for quite a long time actually and he’s asked me basically every year for the last 15 years to play footy or cricket where he’s been involved,’’ Wintle was saying this morning.

“Every year he’s been at Chelt he’s asked the question. I haven’t been doing anything for a couple of years and if you’ve learned anything through Covid it’s that life disappears pretty quickly sometimes, so I might as well (play).

“I’m itching for a hit, actually.’’

Wintle retired after the 2019-20 season, finishing up after six seasons with Noble Park in the Subbies.

Luke Wintle was captain of a VSDCA team of the year.

His most prolific came in 2018-19, when he cracked 811 runs at an average of 73.7, leading Noble into the grand final.

He was named captain of the VSDCA team of the year.

Wintle is a most accomplished cricketer, but for many years he concentrated on football with St Bede’s Mentone Tigers, where he was at the heart of the 2006-07-08 premierships won under the coaching of Luke Beveridge.

He was captain for eight years, played 305 games, won two best and fairests, took the medal as best-afield in the B and A section grand finals, and represented the VAFA.

Wintle had been a batsman of sufficient promise to join Premier club Melbourne, and he resumed playing when he retired from the Tigers, scoring heavily at Kingston Saints before crossing to Noble.

He said he enjoyed his time at Noble and in the VSDCA “but after six years I’d had enough of cricket’’.

“It’s a fair commitment, the Subbies. A bit of travel and if you want to perform you have to train properly twice a week at least,’’ Wintle said. “I was probably fried. I’ve just been happy to coach my boys’ team (at Aspendale).’’

Stalwart Scott Neeson is expected to captain Cheltenham, leaving Wintle to “just roll in and have a hit’’.

But he said he would be pleased to help the club’s young players as Cheltenham strives to climb from the bottom of the Division 2 ladder.

“From what I understand they’ve got some good kids and they’re building,’’ Wintle said.

“I’m happy to be a senior guy with a leadership background and help them develop their cricket.’’

Wintle will bring with him former Noble Park all-rounder Chris Lee, who also retired after the 2019-20 season.

Lee often batted in the top-order for Noble, bowled quickly when his back allowed and set the standard in the field.

Jed Donnell has recovered from a shoulder injury and is set to resume bowling for Cheltenham.

Sell said Wintle’s recruitment had “created a lot of buzz’’ at the club.

“He’s a great signing for us,’’ he said.