Greenvale Kangaroos secure two former England Under-19 recruits for Premier Cricket season

Greenvale Kangaroos have secured two former England Under-19 talents for the coming Premier Cricket season as well as four experienced local recruits.

Greenvale Kangaroos recruits Ben Cliff and Will Luxton.

Greenvale Kangaroos has secured a pair of Yorkshire imports for the coming Premier Cricket season.

Right-arm quick Ben Cliff and opening batter Will Luxton will bolster the Kangaroos line-up.

The two 21-year-olds are both former England Under-19 representatives and currently involved in Yorkshire’s Vitality Blast First XI.

Luxton scored a brilliant century in a tour match against the West Indies this month, while Cliff has eight wickets in five Vitality Blast appearances, snaring 4-31 in the most recent clash against Notts.

They’ll join off-season Greenvale recruits Musa Hussain, Vimesh Wickramasinghe (both Essendon), Ryan Stingel (Footscray) and Visura Fernando (Kingston Hawthorn).

Musa Hussain in action for Essendon. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Ryan Stingel in action for Footscray. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Kangaroos coach Sunny Fernando was looking forward to working with the new additions.

“It’s going to be really exciting to see (Cliff and Luxton), they’ll likely be out second week of October,” Fernando said.

They’re already playing in a professional environment so what better for Greenvale’s young group to see commitment and work ethic, they’ll be role models.

“I’ve very excited getting the two English boys and a good group of Premier players.

“Last year we had a lack of experience in Premier Cricket but this group, with a couple of guys coming across, have played the level and know the standard.”

Hussein played just one First XI match for Essendon last season, taking two wickets, before joining VTCA Division 4 club East Coburg mid-season.

Stingel made 53 runs in four First XI matches for Footscray, spending much of the season in the Second XI, posting 281 runs.

Fernando made just two First XI appearances for the Hawks but impressed in the Second XI, hitting 525 runs at an average of 40, scoring 103 against Greenvale and a 93 against Casey-South Melbourne.

With pre-season training now officially underway, Sunny Fernando was looking forward to seeing the recruits slot in.

While he expects them to start out in the top grade, the club’s practice matches will determine who gets the nod for Round 1.

“We’ve had a couple of players from last year leave the club but there’s some Second XI players pushing up,” Fernando said.

“In September we’re planning to play a couple of practice matches against Fitzroy Doncaster, at Cohuna, those will be selection games.

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“We expect most of those guys to play First XI but they’ll still need to stand up and show their talent.”

Greenvale has also locked in experienced coaches Barry Neivandt and Tony Marasco.

Neivandt returns to the club after coaching Victoria at the National Indigenous Cricket Championships last season.

Marasco is Cricket Victoria’s regional talent coach.