DDCA: Recruits for Buckley Ridges, Springvale South, Hallam Kalora Park
A former first-class cricket batsman is among the recruits already locked in for next season in the Dandenong District association.
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Springvale South has bid adieu to two of its most accomplished players, but also said hello to a leading pace bowler in the Dandenong District Cricket Association.
Skipper Nathan King is moving to east Gippsland and leaving a competition he sometimes dominated with his attacking left-hand batting.
King started at Narre Warren and joined South in 2013-14.
His innings in the 2018-19 grand final will linger in the memory of those who saw it.
After Buckley Ridges made a formidable 6-326, King tore into the bowling, blasting 134 of a 185-run partnership with former Sri Lankan Test player Michael Vandort.
He was run out after a spectacular 146-ball knock that included 13 fours and 4 sixes.
His bowling could be slippery on occasion and brought him a lot of wickets.
The Bloods have also lost Clint Tomlinson, who joined the club at short notice last season after Steve Spoljaric decided not to return to Harold Rd.
The seasoned right-hander was more than useful with 363 at 36.3, including 51 in the preliminary final against Berwick.
But he’s decided to go back into retirement.
The Bloods are looking to bring in an accomplished batsman but they’ve already added a sharp edge to their bowling by securing Josh Dowling from Narre South.
The right-arm paceman nabbed 31 wickets at 12.7 last season and will share the new ball with Matt Wetering.
Dowling played one match for Dandenong in 2015-16 and 28 more for Casey South Melbourne from 2018-19 to 2019-20. He was a useful performer for the Swans, claiming 36 wickets at 28.69.
Buckley Ridges has made two early signings, securing the experienced Josh Holden from Berwick and former Glamorgan batsman Ben Wright.
Left-hand batsman Holden played more matches in the Turf 1 Reserves than Turf 1 last season, but he’s a former First XI player at Casey South Melbourne and should slot into Buckley’s batting order.
Ditto for Wright, 33, who is relocating to live permanently in Melbourne.
Buckley was “highly recommended” to him by James Cole at the Cric X player agency, as well as Nottingham’s skipper and his England Under 19s teammate Steve Mullaney, a former Buckley Ridges captain-coach.
Wright played two Tests against Pakistan, one as stand-in captain where he scored 105 and led his team to an innings victory. In the second game he score 32 and 10, and later toured Bangladesh.
He also played district/premier cricket for Northern Districts in South Australia for three seasons.
At club level, he broke Cowbridge’s all-time batting record in 2019 by scoring 1395 runs in the South Wales Cricket Association Division One competition.
Wright had 89 matches for Glamorgan, hitting 3684 runs at an average of 27.1.
The Bucks’ first-class contingent from last season won’t be returning: coach Chanka Walegedara, batsman Ian Cockbain and all-rounder Benny Howell.
And rumours persist that champion Daniel Watson has played his last match for the club.
Reigning premier Hallam Kalora Park is being linked with HSD all-rounder Udara Hettige, who has had two years in Turf 1.
And Berwick champion Matt Chasemore is believed to be in the sights of a number of clubs, including Red Hill.
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