VSDCA 2020-21: John Hastings, Matthew Brown headline best recruits
A Test player and gun Sri Lankan first-class batsman headline our list of major off-season signings in the VSDCA. As clubs wait for the first ball to be sent down, we’ve wrapped up the biggest moves.
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They’re not sure when the first ball will be bowled given the COVID-19 pandemic, but Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association clubs have been busy bolstering their line-ups ahead of the new season.
Our list of the biggest recruits features a former Australia all-rounder, ex-Victoria quick, Premier Cricket guns and a Sri Lankan first-class player with more than 8000 runs to his name.
Here are the biggest moves since the end of the 2019-20 season.
JOHN HASTINGS (KEW)
The former Australia Test, ODI and T20 international all-rounder brings a wealth of experience to Kew, having most recently played with the Melbourne Stars. He links with the club following a strong connection through best mate and teammate Chris Weeks, having also previously played in T20 matches for the club. Hastings returns to cricket after a two-season hiatus and said he’s “champing at the bit” to play competitive cricket again. Club president Peter Sist lauded Hastings’ inclusion and said the club “could not be more excited to have him on board as a player for this season”.
LOUIS CAMERON (BRUNSWICK)
What a coup for Brunswick, adding the former Victoria quick to already stacked attack. Cameron missed Essendon’s 2019-20 Premier Cricket campaign due to work commitments but should be a more regular inclusion for the Wicks. In his last season at Windy Hill, Cameron collected 10 wickets in eight First XI outings.
MATTHEW BROWN (KEW)
Stepped away from Premier Cricket earlier this year, where he featured in two premierships with Melbourne across a distinguished 15-year career, amassing more than 6000 runs and serving as captain for three seasons. The star batsman makes the move back to Kew where his family name is synonymous, with brothers in Angus, Henry and Oscar representing the club, where he’ll link up with the latter in the current side.
SEAN STURROCK (WILLIAMSTOWN)
The left-arm spinner is set to make a massive impact in the Subbies after returning to his junior club following 15 years at Premier Cricket outfit Melbourne. Sturrock made 290 appearances for the Demons, with 166 of those coming in the First XI. He claimed 207 wickets in the state’s pre-eminent cricket competition and has been appointed an assistant coach at Williamstown, which won last season’s East-West group premiership.
JANAKA GUNARATNE (NOBLE PARK)
Seasoned Sri Lankan batsman who has crossed from Dandenong association club Narre Warren, where he made runs consistently and stylishly in Turf 1 and Turf 2. The Parkers will need him to be at his best given they’ve farewelled Luke Wintle, Nilo Perera and Robbie Johnstone. Gunaratne hit 8253 runs at an average of 36.84 in Sri Lankan first-class cricket, with a highest score of 199 not out.
CHRIS PEREIRA (ENDEAVOUR HILLS)
The tall right-armer returns to the Hills as captain after a few seasons at Hallam Kalora Park in the Dandenong association. He’s closer to 40 than 30 but remains lean and fit and happy to be back at Pargeter Reserve with a club thinking of greater possibilities after its Twenty20 premiership least season. Pereira is remembered in Subbies for his dazzling haul of 8-26 in a final against Coburg in 2012-13.
JACK BLYTH (OAKLEIGH)
The star batsman joins Oakleigh from Fitzroy Doncaster, where he featured as the top-order batsman in the club’s back-to-back First XI premiership sides of 2015-16 and 2016-17. Blyth returns to cricket after a year off and will top up an Oakleigh list which was set to contest a grand final in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 shutdown. At age 27 this year, Oakleigh skipper Brendan McGuinness told Leader that Blyth was “the perfect age really”, with the club “a really good fit for him.”
LACHLAN FITZPATRICK (BALWYN)
The off-spinner returns to Balwyn after a stint with Premier Cricket outfit Monash Tigers (now known as Richmond), where he took 39 wickets across two seasons. Fitzpatrick helped guide Balwyn to its first premiership in more than a decade in 2016-17, 38 wickets at 13.61 apiece.
PEARSON BROTHERS (OAKLEIGH)
Oakleigh already had a premiership calibre line-up and the additions of the Pearson brothers is a cherry on top. A VSDCA premiership player in 2018-19, Ryan captained Plenty Valley last season, led the Bats in runs scored (326) and was second in wickets taken (16), while Blake was third in runs scored (316). Reduced travel commitments helped the Oaks secure the pair and will enter 2020-21 as premiership favourites.
NISHAL PERERA (PLENTY VALLEY)
A top-order bat and dangerous spinner, Perera returns to his junior club after eight seasons with Premier Cricket powerhouse Essendon. Limited by injury to five First XI games last season, he will be hoping to find some consistency at VSDCA level. Is not daunted by the big stage having scored a century in the 2017-18 Second XI grand final against Frankston Peninsula.
PAUL GLOURY (BAYSWATER)
The former Premier Cricket top-order batsman is set to complement Bayswater’s young group, bringing a wealth of experience having captained Box Hill for five years. He’ll look to spearhead the club’s batting after it finished 10th last season, with Gloury scoring 458 runs in his last full season in the top-flight. “He’s going to be our key batsman we hope, and also adds that bit of experience to a young group … he was always around the 500-run mark with Box Hill,” Bayswater vice-president Darryl Stranger said.
AUSTIN HELDT (ENDEAVOUR HILLS)
Classy left-hand batsman who has linked with the Hills from North Dandenong, where he was a prominent under-age player. Had stops at Premier clubs Dandenong and Casey South Melbourne after gaining attention at the Under 19 national titles in 2017-18, when he averaged 45.50 for Vic Metro.
ROB SALERNI (BRIGHTON)
The Tonners have a terrific inclusion in the former Frankston-Peninsula wicketkeeper-batsman, who played 69 matches in the First XI. Salerni didn’t play last season but in 2018-19 he had 26 dismissals and made almost 400 runs. He’ll assume the gloves from Brighton captain and Sub-District great Ricky Damiano.
SHANE JONES (ALTONA)
The new Altona coach bolsters an already formidable batting line-up, returning to the club after a stint with Footscray. Jones has spent the last two seasons in Premier Cricket and captained the Dogs’ Second XI in 2019-20, punching out 445 runs at 37.08 with a best of 66 not out. He no longer sends down spinners, but expect him to make plenty of runs in the middle order.
JOSH DRUMMOND (BRIGHTON)
Has joined Brighton from St Kilda, where he made some handy scores in the seconds and thirds last season. But he was good enough to play some First XI for the Saints, suggesting he’ll be a useful addition to a middle-order that has been unreliable in the past two or three seasons.
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