Frankston Peninsula coach Paul Boraston: let’s hit the ground running
Frankston Peninsula remains hopeful of securing an overseas player while coach Paul Boraston has urged his players to be mentally ready for the start of the season.
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Frankston Peninsula remains hopeful of securing an overseas player while coach Paul Boraston has urged his players to be mentally ready for the start of the season.
Boraston said the Heat were “still in talks with one or two’’ overseas players who have dual citizenship.
“It just depends on if they let them back into the country…and then they’d have to do the quarantine as well,’’ he said.
“So there’s a few things still up in the air but we haven’t ruled it out. If we could pinch one, it would be a bonus.’’
With Cricket Victoria is aiming to get the season away on Saturday, November 21, Boraston said it was vital his players were ready.
“It will come around quickly,’’ he said.
He said while it’s been difficult not being able to train together, the Heat players have stayed connected and focused while keeping their fitness up.
“We’ve been trying to do as many online sessions as we can…keep the boys involved, talking about strategies and game plans,’’ Boraston said.
“We are trying to make sure the players are starting to think about their games the closer we get to the start and what they’re going to be required to do.
“If we only have three to four weeks of actual physical preparation we’ve got to be ready to go — hit the ground running.’’
The season is shaping up as 17 rounds of one-dayers, allowing each team to play each other once. Five rounds before Christmas will be “local matches’’ to limit cross-town travel.
Boraston said the short format would suit the Heat.
“We’ve had time to think about it and understand and plan for that so we’ll be right,’’ he said.
A new recruiting strategy has already paid off for Frankston Peninsula, with two of the MPCA’s most promising players joining the club for the 2020-21 season.
Tom Finn, from Hastings, and Will Borthwick (Baxter) are significant arrivals as the Heat focus on local talent.
The Heat have also signed Bailen Clarke, a left-arm orthodox spinner who played in the firsts at Fitzroy Doncaster.
Four Frankston Peninsula teenagers have been named in Victorian squads — Devlin Webb was selected in the Cricket Victoria Under-17 male emerging performance squad, while Sean van Wijk, Jack Conroy and Luke Long were named in the state under-19 squad.
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