MPCA: Sorrento secures former Victorian star Seb Gotch as playing-coach

A Mornington Peninsula cricket club has landed a recruiting coup that will cause the opposition’s jaws to drop.

Seb Gotch of Victoria acknowledges the fans after scoring a century against Queensland at the Gabba. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

What a lifter for Sorrento.

The Sharks have signed former Victorian wicketkeeper Seb Gotch for the 2023-24 Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association Provincial season.

And the Sharks have also signed Seaford Tigers all-rounder Luke Kranzbuhler.

Gotch made his limited-overs debut for Victoria in 2015-16 and took his Sheffield Shield bow 12 months later.

He played 29 Shield matches, scoring 1187 runs at 33.91, with two centuries and six half-centuries.

His tons came in successive matches in the 2019-20 season, 100 against NSW and 102 against Queensland.

With the gloves he took 100 catches and made eight stumpings.

Seb Gotch of the Melbourne Stars. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

Seb Gotch celebrates. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

At Premier level Gotch made 82 appearances for Melbourne, cracking 2809 runs at 41.9, with five centuries.

Sorrento president Ben McDonald said the club was chuffed to secure a player of Gotch’s calibre.

He said Gotch was living in nearby Blairgowrie and the chance to work with the club’s young players and coach the senior club appealed to him.

“He’s only 29 and he’s been at the MCG nets two nights a week having sessions,’’ McDonald said.

“He’s full on, he can’t wait to get going.’’

Gotch was forced to retire from top level cricket in 2021 because of a finger injury.

Seb Gotch with Sorrento Cricket Club president Ben McDonald.

The now 29-year-old is fit and healthy again and will be playing-coach at Sorrento.

“He had to have a year or two off, that’s what the surgeon said, that’s the only way it (the finger) would improve, so he’s done that,’’ McDonald said.

“He said he’s got no issue with that, he says it gives him no discomfort at all, it’s all a hundred percent better than what it was when he finished up at the Vics.

“But he can’t (wicket) keep because there’s a risk if it gets hit. But batting is fine.’’

McDonald added: “He’ll be great with the kids, he wants to do stuff with them, even the older guys, he said, ‘I’ll just work with them as well’. We’ll get support around him…it will be good for the competition as well.’’

Gotch is the perfct replacement for champion batsman Bobby Wilson, who left the Sharks to join Dromana last month.

Kranzbuhler is regarded as one of the MPCA’s brightest young talents. He’s played Victorian Premier Cricket at both Dandenong and Frankston Peninsula.