Victorian Premier Cricket: Jack Prestwidge, Simon Mackin headline recruits
Premier Cricket clubs have landed some big recruits over the break with several gun fast bowlers making the move to Victoria. Here are the biggest names on the clearances list.
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They’re not sure when the first ball will be bowled given the COVID-19 pandemic, but Premier Cricket clubs will have some talented fresh faces when the season does start.
A host of star quicks is set to hit Victoria’s pre-eminent cricket competition in 2020-21.
These are the biggest signings of the off-season.
Jack Prestwidge (Melbourne)
The Queenslander was sought by a string of clubs after he confirmed his intention to try his luck in Victoria. In the end he opted for the Demons, where family friend Adam Dale (Jack’s father’s, Scott, played first-class cricket for Queensland with Dale) was coming off a successful coaching stint. The 24-year-old is quick, and he could rise quickly in Victorian cricket; he’s already been placed in CV’s “emerging performance squad’’. Prestwidge has played 10 Big Bash League matches for Brisbane Heat and had a limited-overs match for Queensland in 2018-19. Last season he made appearances for the Queensland Second XI and represented the Cricket Australia XI against the English Lions.
Henry Thornton (St Kilda)
Like Jack Prestwidge, tall right-armer Thornton, 23, has headed to Victoria in search of more first-class cricket and will add a sharp edge to the Saints’ attack as he strives to gain the attention of the state selectors. Comes from the Eastern Suburbs club, for whom he took 20 wickets at 24.70 last season. Thornton opened the bowling with Jye Richardson for the Australian Under 19 team and was elevated to the NSW state squad ahead of the 2017-18 season. He had played for the Cricket Australia XI in 2017, starting out against Pakistan, and made a Big Bash appearance for the Sydney Sixers in 2016-17. “He’s young, which will fit in beautifully with our list, he’s quick and he’ll round out our attack nicely,’’ Saints coach Glenn Lalor said.
Damon Egan (Prahran)
Egan lands at his third Premier club in four years, having joined St Kilda from Melbourne ahead of the 2016-17 season. He’s a talent, as he showed last season as he crafted a matchwinning century against Casey South Melbourne at the Junction Oval. His blast against Dandenong in the Super Slam was equally eye-catching. But he fell out of the team late in the season and his association with Prahran coach Julien Wiener has led him to Toorak Park.
Simon Mackin (Melbourne University)
Another interstate paceman seeking fresh fields to conquer. The 27-year-old has first-class credentials, having played 31 Sheffield Shield matches for WA. They brought him 101 wickets at 29.72. Mackin made his Shield debut in 2013-14 and most recently played for WA in February, against Tasmania. Uni were minor premiers last season and coach Antony Keely said his club’s marquee recruit would help adjust to “life without Steven Reid’’. Melbourne Uni also recruited Mineth Heenkende, who played for the South Australian Under 19 team last season.
Adam McMaster (Dandenong)
The right-arm paceman has returned to the Panthers after falling out with the club and joining Melbourne last season. Coach Warren Ayres believes McMaster is capable of leading the attack, which was heavy on medium-pace and spin in 2019-20. He’s had 40 First XI appearances for Dandy, taking 72 wickets at 24.43, with a best of 5-60. McMaster came to notice for the Victorian Under 19 team at the 2015-16 national championships, collecting 15 wickets at 20.
Jack Craig (Melbourne)
If he can break into the strong Melbourne team the spin-bowling all-rounder might prove himself a bolter from the bush. Craig has been a prominent player in the Cricket Albury Wodonga competition, last season being named cricketer of the year for his 586 runs at 39 and 29 wickets at 17. He also did well for the title-winning Victorian team at the national country championships.
Michael Topp (Northcote)
The experienced quick is a significant inclusion for Northcote and will play a valuable mentoring role. Topp collected 208 wickets from 137 First XI appearances during an impressive career at Ringwood, including five five-wicket hauls and a best return of 6-20. He grabbed 13 wickets at 25.15 apiece last summer but helped himself to 104 wickets in a golden three seasons from 2011-12 to 2013-14. He also brings finals experience to the Dragons, who advanced to the preliminary final in 2019-20 before the season was called off.
Isaac Conway (Essendon)
The Bombers were disappointed to lose the wicketkeeper-batsman to Camberwell Magpies as he went in search of more opportunity with the bat. Conway spent most of 2019-20 negotiating the new ball for the Magpies, amassing 311 runs (he also contributed 190 runs at 38 in the Vic Super Slam) to go with 22 catches behind the stumps. But the union lasted only one season, with Conway deciding to return to Essendon, where he will likely fill a roll in the middle-order and support established stars James Seymour, Michael Hill and Aaron Ayre.
Jackson Coleman (Footscray)
With Jake Reed on the sidelines, Footscray will turn to tall left-armer Jackson Coleman to spearhead its pace attack this season. Dogs coach and champion paceman Allan Wise cited the “point of difference” Coleman would provide alongside right-armers Hamish Winter-Irving, Jonah Koch and Jordan Buckingham. Coleman snared 16 wickets at 19.4 from eight Premier Cricket matches for Melbourne in 2019-20. Coleman will be keen to impress state selectors after being left off Victoria’s contract list, but the Dogs will benefit from his increased availability. He played five games for Victoria in last year’s domestic one-day competition, collecting nine wickets, including a haul of 4-46 against Tasmania.
Nick Boland (Prahran)
The younger brother of Victoria fast bowler Scott will give Prahran’s pace attack an injection of class this season after crossing from Frankston Peninsula. Boland collected 19 wickets at 36.68 last season, but his standout summer came in 2017-18 when he returned 24 wickets at 24.96 to go with an impressive strike rate of 37.42. He was also one of the gun bowlers of the Vic Super Slam in 2019-20, grabbing nine wickets from six appearances. Boland represented Victoria in the National Indigenous Cricket Championships.
Tom O’Connell (Geelong)
The 20-year-old leg-spinner has made Geelong his Premier Cricket home after making the move from Monash Tigers. O’Connell is a member of Victoria’s state squad and made four appearances in the domestic one-day competition in 2018, collecting eight wickets with a best haul of 3-56. Lured to Victoria from South Australia on a three-year deal, O’Connell spent most of last season on the sidelines because of stress fractures in his lower back. He will be looking to find fluency at Geelong and push for a first-class debut.
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