MPCA: Long Island Cricket Club secures two key recruits including a former Victorian batsman

What a coup for Long Island Cricket Club, securing two star recruits for next season.

Nick Jewell cuts for Victoria against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield final at the Junction Oval in 2009. Jewell will resume his playing career in the MPCA next season.

What a coup for Long Island Cricket Club, securing two star recruits for next season.

Former Victorian opening batsman Nick Jewell has committed to the Islanders, while Ferntree Gully association run machine Tom Boxell has signed on as the club’s First XI captain for two years.

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Jewell’s connection with Long Island is through his friend and Island opening batsman Aaron Paxton.

“I reckon I’ve got a year left in me,” Jewell told the Leader.

“I get on really well with Packo (Paxton) so that was probably the main reason. He’s tried a couple of times to get me down there so I thought, why not?”

Nick Jewell of Victoria hits a boundary at the SCG.

Jewell, 41, coached Casey-South Melbourne this season but has stepped away from Premier Cricket to free up some time (he also coaches Rosebud football club) and says he’s looking forward to being a player-only at Long Island.

“I’ll just stand at first slip and have a slog,” he laughed. “It should be fun.

“I suppose ever since I finished playing with the Vics I’ve either been captaining or coaching. This is an opportunity just to turn up and play and train. It will be a nice change.”

Boxell, 27, is a former Richmond premiership opening batsman who has been a prolific scorer for Knoxfield in the Ferntree Gully competition over the past four seasons, amassing 2396 runs.

Tom Boxell cuts for Richmond in 2012.

He skippered the Knights to premierships and made centuries in two winning grand finals, as well as captaining the Ferntree Gully Country Week side.

When Long Island became aware Boxell had moved into the local area they made contact with him.

“I looked up his stats and, mate, he’s the best player in that comp, the Ferntree Gully league,” Long Island club president James Haley said.

“Last year he made 700 runs, this year he got nearly 500, the year before that probably 600.

“Knoxfield have won the last three premierships and he’s made a hundred in the last two grand finals. From all reports he’s a star bat. And he’s just a great fella.

“So he’s going to captain our First XI moving forward.”

Jewell played 62 first-class games for Victoria, scoring 4014 runs at an average of 37.86. He hit six centuries, with a best of 188.

In the MPCA, Jewell has piled on the runs.

In four seasons with Sorrento, he peeled off eight centuries and 3233 runs, at an average of 55.74. He also played a season at Main Ridge in 2017-18, cracking 537 runs, at 38.36, with two centuries.

“We are really pleased we’ve got him on board,” Haley said.

“He’s a ripping fella and he’s a competitor and I think he will certainly add a lot to our group.”