Cricket Southern Bayside: Dandenong premiership spinner joins Mentone

A friendship, a challenge, a fresh start...Dandenong premiership spinner Akshat Buch on why he’s joined a Cricket Southern Bayside club.

Dandenong's Akshat Buch sends one down. He’s joined Mentone for 2023-24. Picture: Cricket Victoria

A friendship, a challenge and a fresh start.

These are some of the key reasons behind Akshat Buch’s move to Mentone for the 2023-24 Cricket Southern Bayside season.

The Dandenong premiership left-arm orthodox spinner is friends with Mentone batter Comrey Edgeworth. They played together at Dandenong.

Edgeworth invited Buch to play for Mentone in its Twenty20 campaign last season. He did and enjoyed every minute, playing in the Tigers’ T20 grand final victory.

Now he wants to help Mentone win a flag in CSB Championship division.

“Mentone missed out on the finals by the barest of margins last season so the challenge is to get them into finals contention and then hopefully compete for the premiership as well,” Buch said.

“I’m not someone who can stay at a club for five, 10, 15 years, I need something to look forward to, to challenge myself and try and help a club win the premiership.

“I’ve been able to do that at Dandenong, I’ve been able to do that at Springvale (South).”

Mentone players show off the CSB Twenty20 trophy last season. Picture: Facebook

Buch proved himself an excellent spinner in Premier Cricket, taking 84 wickets in four seasons at Dandy.

In two seasons with Springvale South in DDCA Turf 1, he captured 55 wickets, at 13.

He said he would draw on his Premier experience at Mentone and expects to be challenged in CSB.

“Local cricket is a bit more challenging with the different types of players you get,” he said.

“There are some players who are probably Premier level and it’s a challenge against them, then again you’ve got guys lower in the order who are always ready to take you on. You don’t get that in Premier level a lot of times but in local cricket you can get smashed for runs if you’re not on your game.

“So it’s slightly different in terms of the way you bowl compared to Premier.”

Akshat Buch bowling for Springvale South. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Buch said he love his time at Dandenong but it was the right time to move on.

“I’ll be 30, 31 by the time next season starts so I wouldn’t be part of their plans long term,’’ he said.

”At the end of the day it worked out for everyone.’’

Mentone director of cricket Simon Cormie said Buch would strengthen the Tigers in all areas.

“He showed at Mentone during our T20s what he’s capable of, he was unplayable at times,’’ Cormie said.

“And it just showed us that, wow, this is what we can integrate into our team. Imagine how much positive effect it’s going to have for everyone at the other end. And he can bat, too. So that helps.”