Victorian Premier Cricket: Carlton chases more success

Defending champions Carlton will unveil a new-look batting order this season as it looks to build “the next First XI premiership team”.

Carlton’s Xavier Crone will bat higher this season. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Pad up.

It’s a command a host of Carlton players could hear this season as the reigning premiers shuffle their powerful batting line-up.

Starting this week, the Blues could have a debutant open the batting, with last season’s Second XI leading run scorer Andrew Poppa in line to replace Mackenzie Harvey should the brilliant left hander be called up to the Victorian one-day side.

Carlton captain-coach Evan Gulbis has already indicated young gun Jai Lemire would be promoted to No. 4 this season, and Xavier Crone to No. 6.

Nick Ross.

Tom Smyth.

It means Gulbis — the maker of 21 centuries in Premier Cricket — and fellow guns Harry Smyth, Tom Smyth and Nick Ross could find themselves sliding down the list at certain times this season.

Gulbis said it was all about building for the future.

“There’s a really good chance to grow our group,” he said.

“And that’s what I’m looking at for this season.”

Carlton has won two of the past four premierships, with its batting a key ingredient in that success.

“We’ve done a lot of recruitment from the bottom so we’re going to be very young in our lower grades, looking for development that way, almost like a football club going to the draft,” Gulbis said.

“We are on the look out to find the next First XI premiership team after this team moves on.”

Gulbis said Carlton has had a low-key preparation as it patiently awaits the weather delayed season to hit off.

While other clubs have played practice matches, the Blues have done, “not a hell of a lot”.

“We’ve probably gone the other way,” he said.

“Aaron Finch said it well the other day: you don’t win a tournament in the practice games.

“We’ve given guys time off, not done anything on a couple of the weekends.”