St Bernard’s has secured an overseas coach and the return of a gun wicketkeeper-bat

St Bernard’s has secured an international import as its new coach for the coming VSDCA season, while a gun wicketkeeper-bat has also returned to the fold.

St Bernard's new VSDCA coach Peter Clark.

Two familiar faces are returning to St Bernard’s.

Englishman Peter Clark will take the Snowdogs’ coaching reins for the 2025-26 VSDCA North-South season.

While gun wicketkeeper-batter Rory Collins is also back after a one-year hiatus.

It’s a major boost to the club’s batting power.

In his one season at Murphy Oval in 2023-24, Clark scored 413 runs at 25.81, while also taking 15 wickets.

Clark also coached St Bernard’s Craig Shield squad when he was last out.

He coaches his local club, Shrewsbury, in the Birmingham District Premier Cricket League and currently tops the club’s scoring charts with 194 runs in the opening five matches.

In his last Subbies campaign, also in 2023-24, Collins hit 422 runs at 26.38 and completed 10 catches and 12 stumpings with the gloves.

Collins did some part-time coaching with his former Premier Cricket club Northcote during the summer.

Entering their 10th season since crossing from the Victorian Turf Cricket Association, the Snowdogs are looking to end their semi-final curse.

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St Bernard’s has reached the penultimate game of the year in each of the last four seasons but lost each time.

It also made a semi-final in 2019-20.

Josh Lawrenson was the Snowdogs’ leading run-scorer, hitting 647 runs at 40.44 – ranked fourth overall in the North-East group – while Nish Perera (460), skipper Daniel O’Connell (441) and Jevon Kett (433) all finished in the top-20.

Perera topped the wicket-taking charts with 38 scalps at 16.55 – ranked fourth overall – to be the only Snowdog in the top-20.