Northcote to improve its bowling attack for new Premier Cricket season
Northcote hopes a group of talented young guns are ready for full-time First XI action this season as the Dragons look to move back up the Premier Cricket ladder in 2019-20.
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Northcote hopes a revamped attack can lift it back to Premier Cricket finals.
The Dragons are expected to throw the new ball to former Victoria under-19s representative Michael Edwards and Sam Harbinson.
After a stunning First XI debut late last season, spinner Joe Medew-Ewen will be expected to step up after spending the off-season in the UK, while Lachie Fitzpatrick has arrived from Monash.
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Northcote finished 2019-20 in 14th but only Greenvale Kangaroos took fewer wickets.
Dragons skipper Steve Taylor was pleased with what he’d seen in the pre-season, including a camp in Queensland.
“From a First XI perspective, Mikey Edwards has been really impressive, especially up in Queensland, and he’ll look to take the new ball,” he said.
“He’s a former Victoria under-19s representative, so we’re looking forward to seeing what Mikey can bring to the table.
“Sam Harbinson has been fantastic and he’ll probably open at the other end, while Mark Phelan had a breakout year last season and the challenge for him is to back that up.”
Edwards played just eight First XI games last season, claiming 12 wickets, while Harbinson finished with 10 poles in nine senior games.
In a stellar campaign, Phelan racked up 743 runs - sixth most in the home-and-away season - and will again anchor the Northcote line-up.
Medew-Ewen took 5/55 in the Round 15 win over Melbourne University and spent the winter with Liverpool club Maghull, taking 63 wickets in 25 First XI games.
“Joey spent the off-season in the UK, so he’ll look to have an impact this year, he landed last week just in time for the season,” Taylor said.
Northcote claimed four of its five wins in the opening 10 rounds of last season.
Taylor said if the club wanted to feature at the business end of the season it would need to improve in the two-day games.
“Historically, we’ve fared better in the one-dayers and I think the statistics would back that up,” he said.
“We want to be challenging later in the year and that involves red ball cricket, so there’s a big opportunity for our playing group to step up, as our third grade did last year.”
Bill Lawry Oval will be unavailable until November, the Dragons to play home matches at AH Butler Oval and hand Prahran a “away” game at Toorak Oval in Round 4.