DVCA 2020-21: Rosanna secures former Premier Cricket star Tim Sheehan
A DVCA Barclay Shield flag contender is set to be boosted by three key inclusions after Christmas, including a decorated Premier Cricket batsman.
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Rosanna’s finals push has received a boost with former Premier Cricket star Tim Sheehan set to take the field for the Diamond Valley Cricket Association club after the Christmas break.
Sheehan made more than 200 First XI appearances for Fitzroy Doncaster in a decorated 15-year career, piling on 7023 runs across all grades.
He contributed 427 runs at 30.50, including a century, in his last full summer in 2016-17.
The champion batsman played one Barclay Shield match for Rosanna in 2017-18.
Sheehan has been named in Rosanna’s XI for Tuesday night’s Northern Region T20 clash against Banyule and will then be available for eight Barclay Shield rounds after the break, with Rosanna sitting in fourth position with a 3-2 win-loss record.
“He’s just had a baby in the last couple of years, so he’s had a bit of a break,” Rosanna skipper Sam Sheehan said of his brother.
“But I’ve twisted his arm to get him to come play after Christmas, and he said that he would.
“He’s said he was going to be playing for the last couple of years, so he actually hasn’t made it out there yet.
“I’ll believe it when I see it, but he said he was keen to come play. It will be a good inclusion.”
Scott Dunbar (19 wickets at 12.05 in 2019-20) and Nathan Pietsch (18 wickets at 15.50) are also poised to bolster the bowling attack after being unavailable through the early rounds.
The news comes after Rosanna inflicted North Eltham Wanderers’ first defeat of the season on Saturday.
Sam Sheehan led from the front at the top of the order with an unbeaten 70, batting through the innings as the home side posted 7-143.
It was the captain’s third half-century of the season after hands of 80 against Macleod and 60 against Heidelberg (in a T20 fixture).
Rosanna then restricted the Wanderers to 110, with Scott Shelton (3-15), Nick Carlton (2-15) and Jack Langford (2-29) firing with the ball.
“It was a bit different, just due to the fact it was pretty slow going,” Sam Sheehan said.
“It’s a small ground at Banyule, but the outfield was quite slow and soft.
“I just knocked them around and didn’t hit too many boundaries, but it was good to obviously bat through the innings.
“We thought 140-odd was probably 15 or 20 short, but if we bowled well we were right in the game, and it turned out to be the case.”
The flag race appears wide open with eight teams separated by two games.
Epping and Macleod, who were rated as premiership contenders, both have one win and fill the bottom two positions.
“We’ve changed over a few players in the last 12 months,” Sam Sheehan said.
“Always hopeful of playing finals, definitely, and we’re in a reasonable position.
“We’re optimistic about finals and getting a couple of players back after Christmas, we should be well placed or give ourselves the best chance to make finals, that’s for sure.”
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