Cricket Southern Bayside: South Caulfield appoints Brad Erasmus captain for 2022-23
The reigning premiers have locked in a new captain, vice-captain and top-shelf recruits ahead of the Cricket Southern Bayside Championship division season.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
South Caulfield will have a new voice calling the shots in 2022-23.
Star batsman Brad Erasmus will take over as captain as South chase a flag three-peat in CSB Championship division.
Premiership spinner Jono Curtis will be vice-captain.
The duo will lead a talented South Caulfield side, boosted by the addition of star recruits, VSDCA Holten medallist Callum Nankervis and former St Kilda and Dandenong paceman Jak Jowett.
Key players Lewis Mildenhall, Jye Sampson, Elliott Bradley and Kanishka Alvitigala will saddle up again.
South Caulfield president Jonathan Restarick hoped the leadership roles would invigorate Erasmus and Curtis, and also the side as a whole.
“With success you can probably drop the intensity a bit so there’s an opportunity for those two guys to almost give themselves a bit of a refreshed intensity boost because they are now the leadership,’’ he said.
“And they will try and drive that intensity through the rest of the team.”
Erasmus has been a superb player in his four seasons with South Caulfield, peeling off seven centuries and over 3000 runs in all forms.
Restarick said the Englishman, who as a teenager achieved decent results for County club Surrey’s Second XI, had captained before at junior level.
“He has a good cricket brain but this is his first (time captaining) at senior level,” he said.
Erasmus takes over from premiership captain Will Russell, who has relocated to England.
Hard-hitting all-rounder Nankervis, 26, joins South Caulfield after four outstanding seasons with Plenty Valley in the Subbies competition.
The top-order batman and medium pace bowler scored 1945 runs, at 35.36, and took 61 wickets, at 24.39, in his time with the Bats.
Nankervis was the toast of the Subbies a year ago when he won the VSDCA’s top individual award the Val Holten Medal in 2020-21.
Jowett, 28, coached Clayton Districts in CSB Division 2 last season after joining the Clays from Dandenong.
Jowett made his Premier debut at St Kilda in 2014-15 and crossed to Dandy for one season. All up he had 43 First XI matches, taking 63 wickets at 22.84.
Meanwhile, South Caulfield’s Second XI has been promoted to CSB Division 1 next season.
“We’re excited about our seconds stepping up into Division 1,” Restarick said.
“We hope to continue to be of nuisance value to other clubs’ First XI sides with a pretty strong Second XI side.”
Restarick said South Caulfield had also picked up half a dozen recruits since last season, adding to the club’s depth through the grades.
Opportunity knocks for Northcote success
Northcote is confident its back-to-back Second XI premiership success can offset a number of key departures and keep the club in the Premier Cricket finals hunt.
Complete VSDCA South-West 2024-25 season preview
Hoppers Crossing and Oakleigh have recruited well, while Ormond, Taylors Lakes and Port Melbourne have new-look sides ahead of the Subbies south-west season. Here is everything you need to know about each club.