Eastern Cricket Association: Mont Albert Cricket Club steps up its preparation for a Dunstan Shield defence
With the weather warming up, training sessions increasing and a handy wicketkeeper/batsman from England signed, Mont Albert is stepping up its Dunstan Shield preparations.
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As Melbourne’s spring weather starts to heat up, so to are the preparations for Mont Albert’s Dunstan Shield premiership defence.
Players are starting to drift back to cricket as the final siren sounds on various footy competitions for the winter, training is going from one to two sessions a week and the club has announced its import for the coming summer.
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Mont Albert has secured the services of 27-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman Matt Brown from Tynemouth Cricket Club in the North-East Premier League in Newcastle, a more-than handy signing who’s also played minor counties cricket for Northumberland.
Premiership skipper Jack Joslin said Brown would be a very useful addition to the reigning champion’s line-up.
“We didn’t really have a guy capable of playing regular first XI cricket behind the stumps,” he said. “But the most important thing if you are getting someone from overseas, they need to be a good fit for the club, both on and off the field.”
Most of last year’s premiership winning squad will return for another summer but the club will be without the services of strike bowler Andrew Padbury.
“Andrew Padbury is having a go with (Premier Cricket’s) Prahran,” Joslin said. “And he’s going with our blessing. He’s got the ability to have a crack at Premier Cricket. (But) he’s Mont Albert though and through, so if it doesn’t work out or whether it’s one year, five years or ten years, he’ll be back at Mont Albert.”
Joslin said the club had signed Ben Howes from Sale to offset the loss.
“It will a like-for-like replacement,” he said. “He bowls a pretty heavy rock too.”
Tim Wright, who made a match-winning 84 not out in last summer’s grand final, is also set to pad up again.
After suffering defeat at the hands of North Balwyn in the summer of 2016/17, Mont Albert turned the tables on the Bulls in last summer’s decider.
“We’re going in as the hunted,” Joslin said. “But after tasting success last year, we want to go back and do it again.”
Club secretary Greg Cull said Mont Albert had always done pretty well with the overseas players it attracted.
“Mont Albert has a long history (more than 20 years) of hosting overseas players,” he said. “We have built some strong relationships with a number of clubs in the UK, which has opened doors and allowed an exchange of players in both directions.
“In addition to their on-field contribution, our overseas players provide an opportunity to build some great friendships and to contribute to the development of both our junior and senior teams.
“Along with Andrew Padbury and a number of Cricket Australia accredited coaches, Matt will form part of the coaching staff of our newly-formed junior academy.
“This will be a highly specialised coaching program run throughout the season for boys and girls aged 10-16 covering all facets of the game.”
Dates have been confirmed and the academy program will run on October 21, November 11, December 9, February 3, February 17 and March 3 with a summer camp planned for the summer school holidays (January 22-23). Both the academy and summer camp are open to any interested players.
Mont Albert is always looking for new players and caters for all ages and abilities.
The club runs junior blasters (boys and girls aged 5-7) on Friday nights at Mont Albert Reserve; master blasters (boys and girls aged 7-10) on Friday nights at Mont Albert Reserve; junior teams (under-10 through to under-16) on Friday nights and Saturday mornings; senior teams (four turf and one synthetic) on Saturday afternoons and veterans teams (two over-40s and one over-50s), which play fortnightly on Sundays.
More information at montalbertcc.com.au or by emailing montalbertcc1930@gmail.com
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